


Adventure of a Lifetime

by Michael_T_Winges



Series: The Playlist Series [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-05-27 04:12:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15016403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michael_T_Winges/pseuds/Michael_T_Winges
Summary: Hermione battles Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts. When Bellatrix sends an unknown curse at Hermione, it sends her back twenty-one years - to May 2nd, 1977, and into the arms of none other than Sirius Black and James Potter. Now, Hermione must find her way back home before she can change the past.Sirius Black encounters a mysterious girl who just appeared from thin air. Now, this girl is going to live with the Potters and go to school with him. And he can't help the weird things that are going on in him whenever she's around. Maybe he could woo Hermione.Follow Sirius and Hermione as they navigate life, death, and impending doom.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Dear Reader,
> 
> Hello! I am new to Archive of Our Own, so please bear with me as I learn the site. 
> 
> This is the first installment in The Playlist Series. There is a playlist available on Spotify (link: https://open.spotify.com/user/1233571886/playlist/2KXLJ6SiUJ4HDH50dZOemE ) for you to listen along with. Each song corresponds with a chapter, starting with this one. Please feel free to like, subscribe, all that jazz - you know the drill.
> 
> Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all characters you recognize. I own the rest.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning.

 

**Prologue - Hello, Goodbye**

_You say "Yes", I say "No"._   
_You say "Stop" and I say "Go, go, go"._   
_Oh no._   
_You say "Goodbye" and I say "Hello.”_

  * “Hello, Goodbye”, the Beatles



  


There were three things that Hermione Granger was sure of.

 

First, kissing Ron had been a mistake. It was a heat of the moment thing. It had to be. Besides, Fred was her true love. Right? She had harbored a crush on him since she was fourteen. They were meant to be. At least, that’s how she felt. But now, Fred was dead, and she wasn’t quite sure anymore.

 

Second, this war ended tonight. She knew that was going to happen, regardless who won. And from her vantage point, they were winning.

 

Third, Bellatrix Lestrange had to die. The witch in front of her threw curse after curse in her direction, favoring her over Ginny. Which Hermione was okay with. As long as Ginny survived, she would be fine. Her main focus was on destroying the witch who destroyed her.

 

Hermione and Ginny dueled against the Death Eater for what felt like hours. After Hermione sent a fairly nasty hex towards the witch - who dodged it - Bellatrix sent an unknown curse in her direction. Hermione tried to block it, but it went through her protection charm and hit her square in the chest. There was a sensation of pulling, and she turned to run. The last thing she remembered was hearing Ginny shout, _“Hermione!”_ before she disappeared. The world around her twisted and turned until it returned to normal.

 

Well, _relatively_ normal.

 

The Entry Hall was empty, save for two students. _But where was everyone else,_ she thought. It was incredibly late, and the two students were going to be in detention if they got caught. She suddenly felt exhausted and nearly collapsed. The two students ran over to her, yelling something. The last thing she remembered before her world went black was hearing herself say one word, and a look of confusion on the two boys’ faces.

 

“Harry?”


	2. Kingdom Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius's side of the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Reader,
> 
> Two chapters in one night! I never do that! Weird! But, here we are! I hope that you enjoy it!
> 
> Like, subscribe, do whatever you want.
> 
> \- MTW
> 
> Disclaimer: You know I don't own anything except for plot.

 

**Kingdom Come**

_Don't you fret, my dear._

_It'll all be over soon._

_I'll be waiting here for you._

  * “Kingdom Come”, The Civil Wars



 

There were three things that Sirius Black knew for certain.

 

First, that they were going to win the Quidditch Cup. They’d won it since he and James had joined the team in second year. They were an absolute shoe-in. Slytherin’s team was absolutely rank. The only good player was his brother, but that really wasn’t saying much. Ravenclaw was the only real challenge, but Gryffindor had trounced them last year. And Hufflepuff was between Slytherin and Ravenclaw.

 

Second, he and James needed to think of a better prank. Charming the suits of armor to sing at random? _Really?_ That was so first year. They’d done so much better last year. Sirius presumed that it had something to do with James trying to impress Evans. Sirius rolled his eyes at how his friend was in deep for the Gryffindor Prefect. Evans probably didn’t care, anyways.

 

Third, the girl that just suddenly appeared was definitely a surprise. She stopped running from… _wherever_ … she’d come from and stared at her surroundings. She was panting hard. She had bruises and cuts all over her. She looked like she’d been through hell. She swayed on the spot.

 

“Whoa! Easy there, love,” Sirius heard himself say. How did he get so close to her? James was right behind him. Sirius caught her just as she collapsed. “Shite,” he whispered. She stared up at them, obviously fighting off whatever was trying to take hold of her.

 

“...Harry?” she asked, staring at James. The two sixth years stared back in confusion. Before they could ask her anything, she passed out.

 

“Prongs, mate, go get Dumbledore,” Sirius said. “I’ll take her to the Hospital Wing.” James nodded as his best friend lifted the young girl off the floor. She weighed _nothing_. He felt her ribcage jutting out beneath her denim jacket. How was she alive? What happened to her?

 

“MADAM POMFREY!” He shouted, awaking the Healer.

 

“Sirius Orion Black, what in Merlin’s name do you think…” She halted when she saw the girl in his arms. “Oh, dear. Bring her over here.” Sirius nodded and settled her on the bed Pomfrey gestured to. “What happened? Where did you find her? Who is she?” The questions came at a rapid pace, and Sirius didn’t know the answers to most of them.

 

“I only know that she appeared in the Entrance Hall randomly. She looks like she was in a fight, but I haven’t the foggiest about what happened.’ Pomfrey nodded at Sirius’s explanation. Suddenly, the doors burst open, revealing Dumbledore, McGonagall, and James running into the infirmary. Sirius turned toward the newcomers, ready to explain.

 

“Nobody touch her,” Dumbledore shouted. Sirius and Pomfrey moved away as the Headmaster pulled his wand out of his dressing robes. He flicked his wand at the unconscious girl, who started glowing a myriad of colors. The color finally landed on a blue-purple color, causing Dumbledore to sigh.

 

“She is not from here.”

 

Dumbledore turned to Minerva and Pomfrey and nodded. Pomfrey went back to work while McGonagall turned to the boys.

 

“Thank you for finding her,” McGonagall said. “I won’t ask how you did. I’m just glad that you did. Fifty points Gryffindor. Each.” Sirius and James stared at each other in shock as their Head of House smiled knowingly at the two. They turned back to the unconscious girl.

 

“She’ll be out for awhile. My estimation is that she will wake up tomorrow morning at the earliest. I suggest that everyone goes back to bed and we’ll see what we can do in the morning.” Pomfrey frowned as she continued examining her. “She’s been tortured. With dark magic.” The Healer’s eyes welled up with tears. “She’s been tortured over an extended period of time. How is she alive?” Sirius’s knuckles were white as he turned to Dumbledore.

 

“Sir, if it’s all the same to you, I would like to stay here.” This seemed to shock James - he was being protective over a stranger. He cleared his throat. “If she’s in danger, then I think she should have people looking after her. I can take the night watch, James can take the day shift. He doesn’t have classes tomorrow, anyways.” James quickly nodded.

 

“It’ll be good practice for our Auror training, sir,” James added. Pomfrey made a noise of protest, but Dumbledore waved her off.

 

“I believe these gentlemen are correct,” Dumbledore said. “However, I believe that both of you should be here. If she really has been tortured, then she will have a fitful rest. And having two protectors is better than one. I will send word to your professors and we will work out a way for you two to catch up.” The two young men smiled at each other and nodded. “As you two have probably guessed, I am a Legilimens. I have searched her mind a bit. Her name is Hermione. If she wakes up, please make her feel welcome.” With that, Dumbledore left, McGonagall hot on his heels. Pomfrey huffed.

 

“Well,  I suggest you two settle in for the night. If anything changes, please let me know. I cast a healing charm to help her, but we will have to see.” With that, the Healer left the two to figure out their sleeping arrangements.

 

“You owe me ten Galleons,” Sirius whispered after everything had settled. James groaned.

 

“Really? A girl passed out on us and all you can think of is a stupid bet on Dumbledore?” Sirius shrugged at his best friend.

 

Hermione stirred in her sleep. Sirius turned back to her. She was gorgeous, her hair wild and unkempt. He slid into the seat next to her, staring at her face.

 

“Don’t even think about it, Pads,” James warned him. Sirius shrugged.

 

“She’s not my type, anyway,” he responded. James snorted.

 

“Yeah, because _your_ type is just great.” Sirius smirked.

 

“What can I say? I like ‘em blonde and leggy.” James outright laughed at his friend.

 

“‘Blonde and leggy,’” James said. “That’s a new one. You don’t have a type, mate. You have a high libido.” Sirius laughed, too.

 

“You’re right, Prongs,” Sirius said. “That I do.”

  
  


Dumbledore visited the Hospital Wing first thing in the morning. Sirius heard him enter and immediately woke up, shaking James awake.

 

“Wazgoinon,” the bespectacled boy asked. His glasses were askew on his face as he stared at Dumbledore. The old wizard chuckled.

 

“Good morning, gentlemen,” he said, plopping into a chair next to Sirius. He pulled out a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ from his robe pocket and started examining the front page. The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes. Dumbledore flipped to the third page before speaking again.

 

“You may speak now, Miss Granger.” Sirius whipped his head around to see the brunette open her eyes slowly, groaning. The cuts and bruises on her face were gone. She checked to make sure the sleeve of her shirt were down and looked around her.

 

“How… what…” she looked around in confusion. Her eyes landed on James and she cocked her head to the side. “Harry?”

 

 


	3. Elastic Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Reader,
> 
> Three chapters in one night? What? Who am I?
> 
> Like, subscribe - honestly, just be you!
> 
> -MTW
> 
> Disclaimer: I wish I was JK Rowling. But I'm not.

 

**Elastic Heart**

_Well I've got thick skin and an elastic heart_

_But your blade it might be too sharp_

_I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard_

_But I may snap when I move close_

  * “Elastic Heart”, Sia



  


Hermione’s eyes adjusted to the morning light. She could have _sworn_ that she had just heard Dumbledore’s voice. But how could that be? What happened? She looked around the Hospital Wing in confusion before landing on…

 

“Harry?” she asked. But there was something wrong. He looked like Harry in every way. “Harry, what happened? Where’s Ron? Did we win? Why does everything feel wrong -” she stopped, realizing what was wrong.

 

Harry’s eyes were green. This young man’s eyes were hazel.

 

“... you’re not Harry,” she murmured, flushing. She heard someone clear their throat beside her. She turned to see grey eyes staring at her. He seemed so familiar. He had a strong jaw and a mop of raven hair. She realized who she was staring at and almost burst into tears.

 

Sirius Black stared at her, confused. She tried not to hyperventilate. She then noticed the news paper.

 

_… May 3, 1977…_

“WHAT?” Hermione said, sitting up in bed. James and Sirius stood up and backed away. “HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THAT WITCH, I SWEAR TO CIRCE, I’LL -”

 

“Be careful what you wish for, Miss Granger,” Dumbledore’s raspy voice came from behind the paper. The old wizard folded his paper in half, looking at Hermione with amusement. She started.

 

“Sir, I’m confused,” Sirius said, scratching the back of his head. Hermione hung hers, trying to hide her tears. Bellatrix had sent her back to the past. How? And why? Did the Death Eater know that sending Hermione back in time could severely damage her cause? That’s when it hit her. Bellatrix could not have known that this would happen. She was trying to get rid of a problem, but she may have caused an even bigger one. Hermione just being there could have been potentially disastrous. “What happened?” Hermione’s head snapped up quickly at the question. _He_ can’t _know,_ she thought. Sensing her discomfort, Dumbledore turned to Sirius.

 

“Mister Black, why don’t you ask Mister Lupin if we can have a stash of his chocolate?” Sirius stared at Dumbledore. “Or you can ask the house elves in the kitchen if they have any sweets. Hermione here probably needs a pick-me-up. In fact, why not ask both?” At this, Sirius nodded and exited the Hospital Wing. Hermione sighed as the door closed.

 

“Why did you send him away,” James asked. “Why not send both of us away?”

 

“Because… you look just like one of my best friends from back home,” Hermione explained. “Having you here is actually quite comforting. In a brotherly sort of way.” James visibly relaxed at that and nodded.

 

“Now, Miss Granger,” Dumbledore said. “Why not start from the beginning?” Hermione nodded as she took a deep breath. And she told them everything starting from the beginning - at least, _her_ beginning. Neither of the men stopped her during her story. They just listened. Once she finished, James let out a whistle.

 

“Well, that’s some right shite,” he said. Hermione turned and glared at him.

 

“Don’t swear in front of the Headmaster,” she chastised. Dumbledore chuckled.

 

“Nonetheless,” Dumbledore interrupted, “Mister Potter is correct in his assessment, however crass he may be. You have certainly been through the wringer.” Hermione nodded, looking down. “We need to get you back to the right timeline. There is a hefty amount of research that needs to be done, my dear. Until we find the solution, though, we need to find you a home.” James cleared his throat, catching their attention.

 

“She could stay with my parents,” he said. “My mum has always wanted a daughter, but, y’know, due to her incident back in the day. It won’t take much convincing, either. Since you’re Muggle-born, they’ll want to do it for your protection.” For the first time since she arrived, Hermione smiled.

 

“Thank you… James,” she said. James’s eyes widened, but he smiled and nodded at her. Hermione adjusted so that she could swing her legs over and stand up. Dumbledore moved to give her room. She pushed up and stood for a total of three seconds before collapsing. James immediately caught her.

 

“I’ve got you,” he said, leading her back to the bed. Dumbledore flicked his wand and sent a knocking spell at Madam Pomfrey’s door. The Healer exited her room and rushed over.

 

“What happened,” Pomfrey asked, fretting over Hermione. Hermione could barely lift her arm, but she waved off Pomfrey.

 

“‘M fine,” she said. She was exhausted, but she was fine. Pomfrey frowned at her.

“You need to rest in here for at least two weeks. I will help you try to get stronger. We will do those Muggle physical therapy exercises and see if you can get stronger.” The older witch summoned a potion from her cabinet. “You are going to drink this every day.” Hermione stared at it. It was a Pepper Up Potion. She could only nod along. Pomfrey went back to her cabinet and ruffled around in her supplies. Dumbledore leaned over her, examining her.

 

“Now, Miss Granger,” he said, catching her attention. “Your cover story needs to be something that is believable.” He paused, thinking. “Do you speak French?”

 

“I know French, sir,” she responded. She had an inkling of where the story was going. “Did I go to Beauxbatons? I think that, for the sake of everyone’s sanity, that I went to Beauxbatons because my family did not want me going to Hogwarts because I am related to a Professor, and my parents were worried about favoritism.” Dumbledore smiled and nodded.

 

“Would you be comfortable being related to me, then?” Hermione nodded. “I have a cousin who was a Squib and married a Muggle. You are Muggle-born, correct? I want the story to be as easy for you to remember.” Again, Hermione nodded. “Then it’s settled. You are my distant, Muggle-born cousin. I think third cousin, twice removed? Yes, that should work nicely. And your parents did not want you to worry about nepotism, so they sent you to Beauxbatons, but you live in the United Kingdom. And, until yesterday, you were safely at Beauxbatons before your parents were murdered by Voldemort. Madame Maxime sent you here to continue your studies in an environment close to home so that I could watch over you. After all, I am your closest living relative now.I am way to old to be taking care of such a young student, though, so the Potters have volunteered to take care of you for me. ” Dumbledore winked at her and she nodded. James picked up the Pepper Up Potion.

 

“Here, Hermione. Drink up.” He tilted the vial to her lips and she sipped the liquid slowly. As soon as the last drop slid down her throat, she immediately felt better.

 

“Thank you,” she said quietly. James nodded. The doors to the Hospital Wing burst open as Sirius Black returned with a tiny house elf at his heels. The house elf was floating trays of food behind her and she wore a scarf over her dingy clothes.

 

“Moppy is here to help the young miss feel better,” the house elf squeaked. Hermione nodded but frowned.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Moppy,” she said, reaching out for a tray. Sirius brought it to her as James helped her sit up once again. “Are they treating you alright here?” James and Sirius exchanged a glance, but shrugged.

 

“Oh, yes, Miss!” Moppy cried. “Moppy gets paid, Miss! It’s wonderful! And Moppy gets a place to raise her young child, yes she does! Little Dobby is quite content! Moppy is a free elf, you know.” Hermione choked on the Treacle Tart she was eating. Sirius soothed her back.

 

“Moppy, did you just say Dobby?” Hermione asked. Moppy nodded.

 

“Oh, yes, Miss! When you feels better, please come see Moppy and Dobby! Moppy would be most pleased!” The little house elf jumped up and down enthusiastically. Hermione smiled at her sadly. Moppy bowed after a few minutes. “Please excuse Moppy, Miss! Moppy needs to take care of Dobby.” With that, the house elf popped out of the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

 

“Well, it was nice speaking with you, Miss Granger,” he said, standing up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go contact the Potters. They need to know your history, so please use discretion about who you speak to.” With that, Dumbledore left, leaving a confused Sirius Black in his midst.

 

“What was that about?” Hermione yawned, shrugging. She tucked back into bed. She could no longer fight off her exhaustion.

 

“Haven’t the foggiest,” James said. “I just know that Hermione needs to sleep. She’s had a long day.” Sirius nodded and sat down in an empty seat.

 

“Don’t worry, Hermione,” Sirius said. “We’ll take care of you.” Hermione nodded, already half asleep. She heard Sirius chuckle before she fell into a deep sleep.

  
  


It took five weeks for her to get back to normal. Pomfrey sectioned off a portion of the Hospital Wing for her to work on getting her strength back. Sirius and James joined her almost every night, with the exception of James on the full moon. He had given some lame excuse about Helping Remus out with notes, but Hermione knew the truth. She also knew that her being alone with Sirius was going to be problematic. He had bought her story about going to school in France, and about being Dumbledore’s long-lost relative. He stayed with her every opportunity he could, which Hermione was grateful for. The issue was that he would flirt with her relentlessly, and it made her feel conflicted. On one hand, this was her best friend’s godfather. On the other hand, he was not the same Sirius that she knew back in her time. The one that sat before her was so… positive. It was almost unnerving.

 

The worst part were the nightmares. The first night that she had them, Madam Pomfrey had to wake her up and give her a Dreamless Sleep potion. James and Sirius were no longer allowed in the Hospital Wing at night, so she hid her nightmares from them as best she could. She felt - and probably looked - exhausted constantly, but the boys never talked to her about that.

 

Once she was feeling better, Dumbledore allowed her to explore the halls. He allowed her to go out at night so that she would not disrupt students and classes. She met the professors individually for an hour, and they each expressed interest in her education. She showcased her skills in each subject. McGonagall expressed wishes for her to be sorted into Gryffindor, while Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn each expressed interest in her joining their houses. It was not long before the professors went to Dumbledore to find out if she could be sorted. He quickly agreed and pitched the idea to Hermione. Hermione hesitated at first, but accepted after some consideration. On the Friday before the last full week of classes, Hermione stood outside of the Great Hall with McGonagall and the Sorting Hat. The older woman smiled at Hermione.

 

“You’ll be fine, dear, “ she said. “I have faith the Hat will place you in the house meant for you.” Hermione nodded and smiled back. She was not nervous. She just felt out of place. McGonagall nodded at her before opening the door. Dumbledore smiled at Hermione as she and McGonagall moved toward the staff table. Hermione stopped right at the steps leading up to the table. She did not have robes, but that did not matter - it was a Friday evening, after all. She could hear people whispering around her, but she ignored them. She knew she stood out, but she could not help it. She clutched her beaded bag to her side as she waited for McGonagall to set up the Sorting Hat and call her name.

 

“Potter, Hermione.” She hesitated, not realizing that her new name had been called. Then she stepped forward and sat on the stool. The crowd looked at her eagerly as the Hat was placed on her head.

 

 _“Oh, well, hello again,”_ the Hat murmured to her. _“Although, it seems that_ I _personally have not met you yet. But you certainly know me. Now, Gryffindor seems like an easy fit for you, but you were that last time, right? Maybe Slytherin?”_ Hermione mentally growled. _“Ah, too bad. You would have thrived there, with that ambition. Maybe Ravenclaw? No, no, simply too easy. And you would not do well in Hufflepuff. That’s for certain. Too defensive and secretive. So, the only place left is…”_

 

“GRYFFINDOR!” Hermione sighed in relief. The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers as the other tables deflated. She knew that they all wanted something to gawk at. She took the Hat off and placed it on the stool and rushed to her table. Sirius and James were yelling the loudest, whooping and cheering. James ran up to her and gave her a hug.

 

“I knew it!” He shouted. “My adopted sister is a Gryffindor!” He let go of her as she laughed at the reaction. Sirius hugged her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist.

 

“Knew you were a Gryffin at heart,” he whispered into her ear. She blushed and turned around in Sirius’s arms, hugging him back.

 

“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered back. He squeezed her tighter before letting her go. She sat down in between James and Sirius, throwing everyone else off their guard. The only one who seemed to not care was Remus. He looked exactly as she had expected him to look - with not as many scars as he did in her time; long, sandy hair pulled back into a ponytail; and a much less haunted look. A red haired sixth year leaned over and shook Hermione’s hand.

 

“I’m Lily Evans,” she said. Hermione smiled widely.

 

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Hermione said. Lily quickly glared at James.

 

“What did he tell you? That he’s a toe-rag?” Hermione laughed.

 

“Actually, he said all pleasant things,” she responded. Lily looked confused. James whispered thanks into her ear. In truth, James had spoken about Lily often, but it was her previous time at Hogwarts that gave her the information that she needed. “He did mention you not wanting to date him, which put him quite out.” Lily turned to him.

 

“Did you put her up to this,” Lily accused. James raised his hands in defense as Hermione grabbed Lily’s hand.

 

“He did not,” Hermione said. “I’m just trying to give him a hard time.” At this, Sirius, Lily, and Remus barked out a laugh. Hermione looked around. “Hey… you said that the Marauders have four members, right?” Remus cleared his throat.

 

“Wormtail’s in detention due to an unfortunately timed prank,” he responded. Hermione raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

 

“Do I want to know,” she asked. Sirius shook his head.

 

“He was working on dying the Slytherins’ hair to change color to fit their mood,” he explained. “Flitwick caught him.” Hermione frowned, but she did not ask for clarification. From her understanding, Pettigrew followed the Marauders around to just be around them. The fact that he was pranking people was news to her. James nudged her arm and shook his head subtly, as if to tell her, “Not here.” She gave a small nod back. Sirius and Remus seemed the only ones to notice. Lily coughed and motioned toward the trio.

 

“So… How did you manage to actually get in between these two? I thought they were sewn together at the hip.” Hermione laughed.

 

“Did James tell you what happened?” Lily nodded. “Well, I needed a place to stay, and James’s parents said that I could stay with them until I graduate.” Lily quirked an eyebrow.

 

“Well,” Lily said. “Just be careful. With Sirius and James together over the summer, you can never know what is going to happen.” Hermione smiled and nodded.

 

“I think I can handle myself,” Hermione said. “But thank you for the tip.” Lily smiled at her.

 

“I like her,” she said.

 

The next day, Fleaumont and Euphemia Potter came to the castle to meet Hermione. James and Sirius were present, and since Sirius was there, they had to be careful with their words.

 

“Oh, Hermione, you are so beautiful,” Euphemia cried, hugging her now daughter. “We are so delighted to have you in the family.”

 

“Euphie has been dying for a daughter, but… well,” Fleaumont explained before hugging Hermione. Hermione thanked them for taking her in. Euphemia waved her off.

 

“You are family now. None of that,” Euphemia said. “Besides, any friend of Sirius and James. Oh, Sirius told us about you. You’re the first girl he’s ever talked about!”

 

“Oi!” Sirius said indignantly before winking at Hermione. She blushed. “Those letters were private.”

 

“Mate, she’s my sister now,” James said. “Of course she’s going to learn about the letters you send mum.” Fleaumont cleared his throat, catching Euphemia’s attention.

 

“Oh! Yes!” The older woman dug around in her purse for something. She produced a small, rectangular box. “We figured since you’re a Muggle-born, your parents had no way of knowing wizarding traditions.” Hermione opened the box to find a small gold chain with a tiny red gemstone on the end. Hermione’s eyes watered as she closed it. It was too much.

 

“Thank you,” she said, tightly hugging her now surrogate parents. They hugged her back. Tears streamed silently down her face. She felt sad that her real parents were not there; however, she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward these strangers who willingly took her in.

 

They all signed the official documents to place Hermione under the Potter’s care. Dumbledore sent the paperwork off to the Ministry quickly. The Potters departed soon after that. James and Sirius walked Hermione back to the Hospital Wing - her home until they left school for the summer.

 

“So,” Sirius said. “That’s Fleaumont and Euphemia.” Hermione smiled.

 

“They’re wonderful,” she said. “I know that it’s a lot to take in a stranger, let alone adopt them on blind faith. I think they will be great for me.” James and Sirius smiled.

 

“This is gonna be an interesting summer,” James said. Hermione agreed wholeheartedly.


	4. She Will Be Loved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius is a flirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Reader,
> 
> Here's another chapter! I am currently doing an internship on top of planning a film and preparing for my final semester of film school (What?! Who knew?!). So, please try to ignore the inconsistent postings. I will try to upload more frequently come August; however, that will not be a guarantee. You have been forewarned.
> 
> Besides that, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> -MTW
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. ANything you don't recognize is mine.

 

**She Will Be Loved**

_I drove for miles and miles and wound up_

_At your door_

_I've had you so many times but_

_Somehow I want more._

  * “She Will Be Loved”, Maroon 5



 

The summer holidays came faster than Sirius anticipated. And Hermione was coming home with him. He sighed, quite content with how things were panning out. He had a gorgeous and brilliant woman staying in the same house as him. He could not believe his luck.

 

James opened the door to their compartment and let Hermione walk in first. She looked around, smiling sadly as if she recognized the place. James let Sirius walk through next, with him following behind closely. Remus was already sitting in the corner, reading a book.

 

“Before you ask, Peter Floo’d home this morning,” Remus stated, not even looking up from his book. “Family Emergency.” Sirius nodded, watching Hermione carefully. She was digging around in her beaded bag for something. Before long, she produced a battered book and sat down across from Remus, opening to the first page. She did not notice as Sirius plopped down next to her, or that he’d laid his arm on the back of the seat. Nor did she notice the train start to move. Remus snickered but James just quirked an eyebrow. Sirius shrugged but quickly turned back to Hermione as she subconsciously snuggled into his side. He found that he like that quite a bit, which surprised him. He was not a domestic life kind of guy, so the fact that he actually enjoyed this feeling shocked him. He didn’t do anything to change his situation, though. She only cuddled closer, grossly invested in her book. He leaned forward to see what she was reading.

 

“ Something Wicked This Way Comes,” he said. Hermione looked up, startled. She quickly turned to him, vacating the space she’d occupied and left a part of Sirius feeling empty. “What’s that?” Hermione placed her finger in her book, marking her place.

 

“It’s a Muggle novel about two boys who are best friends and a magical carnival that comes into town,” she explained. She looked down, embarrassed. “It’s my favorite book.” Sirius looked down at the book and nodded.

  


“Good to know,” he said. She turned her head, inquisitive. Sirius shrugged. “I just like Muggle things. Like I really want to own a motorcycle.” Hermione laughed as James and Remus groaned loudly.

 

“Merlin,” James said. “If I have to hear about another motorcycle again, I’ll hex your hair to turn purple permanently.” Sirius laughed and shook his head.

 

“You make it sound like that’s all I talk about,” he said, glancing briefly at Hermione. She shook her head in amusement and went back to her book. Sirius smirked as James scoffed. Before long, James pulled out a deck of cards for Exploding Snaps. Sirius eagerly played, wishing for something to do. Hermione sat up against the wall, nestled into the corner. Whenever it wasn’t his turn, Sirius would turn and watch her read. After the fifth time this happened, James smacked Sirius. Hermione snorted.

 

“Stop looking at her,” James said. “She’s a real person with real feelings. You need to get a hold of yourself.” Sirius rolled his eyes and turned back to the game.

 

“While I appreciate the sentiment, I don’t think it was necessary,” Hermione replied, not glancing their way. “You should probably concentrate a little more.” As she finished speaking, James’s hand exploded.

 

“Shite,” he yelped, shaking his hand. Sirius couldn’t help it - he barked a laugh. Hermione rolled her eyes and stood, stretching.

 

“Where are you headed?” Sirius asked. Hermione shrugged.

 

“Somewhere quiet,” she said, stepping out of the compartment. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes.” Sirius nodded. As soon as she was gone, James smacked him.

 

“You scared off the new girl, mate.” Sirius chuckled.

 

“Sorry, Prongs,” he said. “Maybe next time she won’t be so frightened.”

 

“Well, maybe next time, you should watch yourself,” Remus quipped from his corner. “And maybe choose a game that’s not as loud. Some people enjoy quiet while reading.” James snorted.

 

“Like you’ve ever complained,” he said. Remus rolled his eyes but continued reading.

 

“I was talking about Hermione.” That shut James up.

 

Twenty minutes went by and Hermione finally returned. Her eyes were slightly red, but she seemed just as chipper as before. Sirius nudged her after she sat down next to him.

 

“You okay, love?” He asked quietly. Hermione smiled and turned to him.

 

“I’m fine,” she said. Sirius quirked an eyebrow at her. She sighed. “I just miss my friends back home.” James sat forward at that.

 

“Tell us about them,” he said. Hermione laughed and shook her head.

 

“I don’t know…” she said. Sirius put his arm around her.

 

“Maybe talking about them will help you out,” he suggested. Hermione bit her lower lip, and that did unexpected things to him. After a few moments of contemplation, she nodded.

 

“Well, they weren’t my friends at first,” she said. She explained how she was very lonely in her first year at Beauxbatons until a Mountain Troll wandered into the school. Sirius, James, and Remus all listened intently as she explained her time at the French school. She spoke about defeating Death Eaters and the classes she took. She talked of spending summers with her friends. She was explaining her sixth year and how some guy named Ron needed to have his brains bashed in when the train finally stopped. Hermione looked out the window and tensed. Sirius grabbed her hand.

 

“You’ll be fine,” he said. Hermione turned to face Sirius and she stared at his hand in confusion. Realizing what he was doing, he removed his hand quickly. Everyone in the compartment stood and exited the train quickly.

 

 _What were you thinking?_ Sirius mentally berated himself. _What has gotten into you?_ It took the group a few minutes to make their way over to their parents. Remus’s mother stood next to Euphemia and Fleaumont, actively listening to Euphemia as she explained something. Mrs. Lupin looked worse for the wear, and that did not slip past Remus. He marched up to his mother, who sighed at the murderous look on his face.

 

“Not here, Remus,” she said. Sirius knew that Remus’s father was an alcoholic who was in and out of his life since he was seven. Sirius had an inkling that his father was abusive, but that was neither here nor there. He couldn’t bring that up with his best friend. Not yet, anyway. So, he just stood by as he watched his friend walk away with his mother. Euphemia cleared her throat, dispersing the awkward tension.

 

“Let’s go home, shall we?” She asked. Hermione nodded eagerly and wrapped an arm around Euphemia’s waist. Sirius turned to James only to find him next to Evans. She looked thoroughly pissed at him. There were tears in her eyes. Sirius walked over and tugged on James’s sleeve.

 

“Potter, why do you always ask me out? Do you think I’m some sort of prize? Is that it? Well, you can’t have me -” Lily was starting to yell. Sirius cleared his throat.

 

“So sorry for the interruption, Evans, but we need to get going,” he said, tugging his friend along behind him. He heard Lily grunt and walk away. James slumped over.

 

“She called me _Potter_ ,” James said sullenly. “I thought I’d got her to call me James…” Sirius patted his best friend’s back.

 

“I bet one day she’ll come around,” Sirius said. James nodded, seeming to not believe him. Sirius rolled his eyes. “Come on. Your parents and Hermione are leagues ahead of us.” With that, Sirius shrank their trunks and placed them into his pocket. He grabbed James’s arm and rushed them off the platform and to the station. It took a few minutes to catch up to the rest of their family, but they did just as Fleaumont pointed to a secluded area. Euphemia went first, Apparating to get home first.

 

“Sirius, why don’t you take Hermione?” Fleaumont said. Sirius nodded and offered his arm to Hermione. She took it, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow.

 

“Ready, love?” He murmured in her ear. She nodded, closing her eyes. Sirius quickly turned and felt Hermione’s hand squeeze slightly. The feeling of being crushed overcame him for a brief moment. It stopped as suddenly as it began. They landed in an empty clearing in a forest. Hermione pitched forward slightly, but Sirius caught her. “I got you,” he said, wrapping his arms around her thin frame. He wasn’t sure, but he felt like she wasn’t eating properly. He righted her, but his hands never left her sides. She stared at him in confusion.

 

“What are you doing?” she asked. He shook his head.

 

“You’re skin and bone, love,” he responded. “What do they feed you at that French school?” Hermione tensed and Sirius let go, sensing a sensitive topic. He sighed and motioned with his head for her to follow him. “The Potter’s house is surrounded by protective charms, so we have to walk for a bit.” Hermione nodded and the two set off towards the house. They weaved between trees, silence their only company. Sirius took the time to think about how it felt to touch her, to hold her. His skin tingled from the contact and he just wanted to understand why. Why did this girl have such an effect on him? Why was he reacting the way he was? He mentally berated himself. Hermione was quite obviously a woman, and she had a traumatic past. He shouldn’t care. He _shouldn’t_. At least, not like this. His thoughts stopped when he heard Hermione whisper something.

 

“Wow…” Sirius looked at her and then turned to see what she was looking at. Potter Manor stood as pristine as it ever did. The grey stones made it look like a small castle. The small tower that held the library did not help change that. He smiled at Hermione and offered his arm, which she took. He couldn’t get over the fact of how perfectly she seemed to fit with him. She smiled up at him, awestruck. The two walked toward Potter Manor as Sirius explained things to her. He explained the tower and gave her a general layout of the house. He told her about the secret fourth floor, where he and James had planned pranks for years. He explained the sixteen different rooms and how, if necessary, they could house several small families for three months. Hermione was so in awe that Sirius chuckled. She was adorable.

 

“Hermione Granger, welcome to Potter Manor,” he murmured into her ear. He felt her body tense up as a small shiver went down her spine. The two seemed to notice how close they stood and quickly stepped away from each other. Sirius smiled at her, winking. Hermione rolled her eyes and took off toward the mansion at a brisk pace, Sirius following behind her. He stared at her as she took in the sight before her.

 

They were at the back gate in a matter of seconds. Sirius opened the gate for her, ushering her inside. Ahead of them was a hedge maze meant to keep out intruders. There were four paths they could possibly take. The farthest left led to the Quidditch pitch. The two on the right were traps that either led them back to the front or kept them lost in the maze. The only safe option was the second one from the left, which led directly to the manor. Sirius took Hermione’s hand and led her down the right path. He heard her gasp every few moments as they continued to walk down the path. The maze was beautiful, but he knew it like the back of his hand. He’d practically lived here since he was twelve, after all. They made their way through the maze and made it to the back door within a minute. Sirius kicked over a rock to reveal a spare key.

 

“Only certain people can touch the rock,” Sirius explained. “It’s set to explode if someone who doesn’t have permission to enter touches it. Same with the key.” He picked the key up and placed in Hermione’s hand. The key didn’t explode, which meant the Potter’s had already updated their security system. She placed the key in the lock and turned it, smiling as she entered. The kitchen was enormous, but Sirius was used to it by now. Euphemia stood by the stove, setting a pan on top of it.

 

“Hermione! I hope Sirius here wasn’t too much trouble,” she said, smiling at the young witch. Hermione smiled, nodding.

 

“He was the perfect gentleman,” she said, making Sirius roll his eyes. This surprised the older witch.

 

“Really?” She asked. “Well, maybe there’s hope for him after all.”

 

“Oi! I’m always a gentleman,” Sirius protested. Euphemia glared at Sirius, making him immediately shut up. She turned to Hermione and gave her a wink.

 

“Sirius, please take Hermione up to her room and then give her a tour of the house,” she commanded, turning back to the empty pan. “Dinner will be ready in a little bit. I hope you like shepherd’s pie.” Sirius smiled. Hermione had confided in him that it was her favorite, and he had owled Euphemia to tell her. He turned to the girl standing beside him and gestured for her to follow. He didn’t wait for her to respond as he walked through the kitchen. He led her up the grand staircase, past the second floor, and up to the third floor. There were four rooms on this floor. James’s and Sirius’s were on the right. Hermione’s was in the far back on the left, across from Sirius’s. He led her to her room.

 

“This first one on the right is James’s room,” he explained as they passed it. “The one on the left is one of five guest rooms. The second one on the right is my room. It connects to James’s, which is how he and I hang out a lot at night. And yours is the last one on the left.” He opened her door and she gasped. The room was as big as the Prefect’s bathroom at Hogwarts. He watched as Hermione took a tentative step into the room, tears in her eyes.

 

“This is way too much,” she said. “I simply cannot accept this!” Sirius chuckled.

 

“To be honest, this is the smallest room we have,” he said, stepping back toward his room. He opened his door to reveal that his room was, indeed, much larger than hers. She bit her bottom lip and he groaned at the sight. She looked at him in confusion. “If you keep that up, love, then we will have a problem.”

 

“What do you mean?” She asked, turning around. “What was I doing?”

 

“Looking enticing,” he stated, making her blush and shake her head.

 

“You’re just saying that,” she whispered. He quirked an eyebrow.

 

“No, I’m not. You’re quite beautiful, love.” She rolled her eyes.

 

“Thank you for the flattery, Sirius,” she said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to prepare my room.” With that, she closed her door in his face. He hadn’t realized that he’d walked toward her, or that he even cared that she’d slammed the door in his face. He shrugged, determined to get her to flirt back. He turned to his room and looked around. While he loved living with the Potters, he felt like a burden. After all, his family certainly told him that constantly. He sighed, running a hand through his wavy locks. He needed his own place. He stopped and smiled, mulling over the idea. He quickly rushed down the stairs, sliding down the last part as James walked past him. He grabbed his hand by the arm and dragged him over to the living room, where Fleaumont kept all of the newspapers.

 

“Bloody hell, Pads!” James said as soon as they stopped. “Care to let me in on what you’re doing?”

 

“I’m gonna get my own flat,” Sirius said. James stared at him, hurt.

 

“What, we’re not good enough for you?” James snapped. Sirius set down the newspaper.

 

“Actually, you’re _too_ good,” he quipped. That confused James and Sirius sighed. “I feel like I’m a burden to all of you. I don’t want to continue being a burden.” The look in James’s eyes softened.

 

“Mate, you’re not a burden. You’re my brother.” Sirius smiled. “If this is really what you want…”

 

“I mean, I’m not going to get the apartment until after we graduate, but I think we should start looking now.” James nodded, giving Sirius a tight-lipped smile.

 

“Right. Well, what have you found so far?” Sirius sighed as he opened _The Daily Prophet_ back to the ads section.

 

“There’s a place in Diagon Alley that seems right in my budget,” he said. “But I wanted something more towards Muggle London. Closer to the Ministry.” James nodded. Sirius turned to him. “Wanna move in with me? Just to get away from your parents?” James perked up at that.

 

“Are you sure?” He asked. “I don’t want to impose on your freedom.” Sirius barked out a laugh.

 

“C’mon, Prongs,” he said. “Like you said. We’re brothers. Besides, we should find something close to central London if we want to be Aurors.” James nodded, ecstatic. At that moment, Hermione came down the stairs, her wild hair flying behind her. She stopped at the bottom of the steps, confused. “Lost, love?” She jumped at the sound of Sirius’s voice, producing her wand. James moved towards her immediately while Sirius quirked an eyebrow.

 

“It’s just us, ‘Mione,” James said. Hermione visibly relaxed, putting her wand up her sleeve.

 

“Sorry, boys,” she said. “Old habit.” James nodded before turning to Sirius.

 

“The attack has her on edge,” James explained. Sirius nodded in understanding.

 

“What can we help you find?” Sirius asked. Hermione smiled.

 

“Can you point me in the direction of the library, please? You don’t have to take me there, I just want to find out how to get there.” James smiled.

 

“Go back to your room. There’s a secret staircase that leads up there in your closet,” he explained. Hermione’s smile was brilliant as she ran back upstairs. Sirius sighed, watching the young witch go.

 

“Mate, you’ve got it bad,” James said. “Don’t even think about it. She’s my sister.” Sirius glared at his friend.

 

“She’s not your _real_ sister,” he countered. “Besides, I’m not that interested.” James laughed and picked up a Muggle newspaper.

 

“Let’s look at the ads for an apartment,” he said. Sirius quickly obliged.  


 

* * *

 

 

Three weeks went by, and Sirius only saw Hermione during meals. Not that he openly went seeking her. He and James would go out and play Quidditch every day, trying new tricks. He caught a glimpse of her in the library one afternoon, just reading and taking notes. He asked James about, but he just shrugged.

 

“No idea,” was the only response he got.

 

At the beginning of the third week, Sirius had had enough. Hermione was not eating properly still, and he’d be damned if he let her continue. It was just the two of them in the kitchen as she picked at her leftover food before standing up and pushing the plate away.

 

“Where are you going?” Sirius asked, not looking up from his meal. Hermione sighed and turned back to him.

 

“The library,” she said in a clipped tone. Sirius looked at her like she was crazy.

 

“You didn’t eat anything,” he said and she blushed and came back over to him.

 

“I didn’t think anyone noticed,” she said softly. “I physically cannot eat anymore, Sirius. I’ve tried, but I get sick if I try to eat more.” He shook his head.

 

“I’m not asking you to eat the whole plate right now,” he said. “I know that you went through some traumatic stuff, but you need to eat more than you are. You’re a walking skeleton. Albeit a sexy one, but a skeleton nonetheless.” Hermione’s blush deepened at his comment.

 

“I’m going to ignore that comment,” she said, relaxing. “I cannot promise you anything, but I will try harder.” Sirius smiled, grabbing her hand.

 

“Thank you,” he said, squeezing her hand. “That’s all I ask.” He kissed her hand as James entered the kitchen.

 

“Ew, gross,” he groaned. “Go take that lovey-dovey shite out of the kitchen please.” Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“We are not in a relationship,” she said. “And besides, from what Lily told me, you’re way worse than Sirius could ever be.”

 

“When did you talk to Lily?” James asked.

 

“Is that a challenge?” Sirius asked at the same moment. Hermione glared at Sirius.

 

“Lily and I have been writing letters to each other since the start of summer,” she explained. “Although, I haven’t heard from her in a couple of days, so I’m starting to get worried. And no, that was not a challenge.” There was a banging on the door as the alarms in the house sounded. Hermione raised her wand and ran to the door, the two boys on her tail. She opened the door to see a tear-stained Lily standing in the pouring rain. Hermione quickly ushered the soaking wet girl into the living room, drying her off and summoning a blanket. “Sirius, go get a cup of tea ready and some biscuits. James, go make up the spare bed in my room. Now.” Hermione barked orders as she took care of Lily. The alarms silenced with a wave of her wand. Sirius hurried into the kitchen and produced a cup of tea and biscuits in seconds. He returned as Lily began to talk.

 

“It’s all my fault,” she said. Sirius handed her the refreshments. Lily took them carefully. Hermione stroked her friends back in a calming circular motion.

 

“Why don’t you tell us what happened?” Hermione asked. Lily took a deep breath as James entered the room. Sirius and James sat in two of the chairs opposite the two girls.

 

“I was out shopping with my parents,” she said shakily. “I suggested we eat at Wagamama. We haven’t been there in years. Since before I started at Hogwarts. And… well… The Death Eaters found us. They killed my parents on the spot. I ran and apparated to the only place I could think of.” James was on his feet and by her side in a matter of seconds.

 

“None of this is your fault,” he said. “You had no way of knowing. You can stay here for as long as you need. You should probably stay with Hermione for the time being.” Lily sniffled and nodded.

 

“Thank you, James,” she whispered, grabbing his hand. He smiled at her and led her upstairs. Before they got to the top of the stairs, she turned back around. “Thank you, everyone. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” James continued to lead her upstairs. Hermione sighed and ran a hand over her face.

 

“This is not good,” she sighed. Sirius looked at her with his eyebrows scrunched up.

 

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” he said. Hermione glared at him.

 

“I meant that having James and Lily close together may not be the best thing,” she explained. “Her parents dying is terrible. She needs time to mourn. James may not be the best person for that right now.” Sirius realized that she was right.

 

“I never thought of it that way,” he said softly. He stood and rushed up the stairs after his friend. It’s not that he didn’t trust James. It’s that he didn’t want James to get slapped. Or worse. He arrived just as James closed the door to Hermione’s room.

 

“Lily’s asleep,” James said. “She needs it after the day he’s had.” Sirius looked at his friend, dumbfounded. “Padfoot, what’s wrong?”

 

“Are you sure you’re James Potter?” Sirius asked. James scoffed. “Did I just hear you right? You didn’t ask her out?”

 

“Be seri - Oh, for fuck’s sake, Sirius!” James said as Sirius attempted to make a pun. “Honestly, not the time. Yes, you heard that right. I can be a real gentleman when I want to be.”

 

“Awe, is Prongsie-Wongsie in wove?” Sirius cooed as the two moved toward the stairs. Hermione was halfway up the stairs when she heard Sirius. He noticed her freeze for a moment but he chose not to say anything.

 

“Yes, well, it appears it’s contagious,” James quipped, pointing a finger at Sirius, who immediately got offended.

 

“What the bloody hell does that mean?” Hermione chuckled as they reached her.

 

“It means stop flirting with me,” she said. He winked at her.

 

“You love it,” he purred. She rolled her eyes before walking down the stairs.

 

“You annoy me,” she quickly countered. He barked out a laugh before James hit him over the head.

 

“Lily is sleeping,” he chastised. Sirius rolled his eyes, smirking.

 

“‘Mione, love, you know you love it,” he whispered. She scoffed at him and walked toward the kitchen, the boys following. The group was surprised to find Remus standing at the back door. Hermione smiled and hurried to open the door.

 

“Hello, Hermione,” Remus said, hugging her. Sirius and James followed suit.

 

“Moony, tell ‘Mione that she loves it when I flirt with her,” Sirius said. Remus laughed in confusion.

 

“What?” Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes.

 

“It seems that this _dog_ thinks he’s learned a trick,” she said. James and Sirius stared at each other in mild alarm. “Sirius thinks that flirting with me is a good idea. James and I believe otherwise.” Remus nodded, glancing at the two brothers.

 

“I agree with James,” the werewolf stated. Sirius glared at his friends.

 

“What’s a bit of harmless flirting?” He asked. Hermione laughed humorlessly.

 

“Knowing you, it’s probably a prank,” she said. “That or you just want a quick shag. I’m not interested in being part of any pranks, nor am I willing to be a one night stand. So, please stop.” With that, she shooed them out of the kitchen and pulled out several pots and pans, starting on lunch. James placed his hand on a dumbfounded Sirius’s shoulder.

 

“Padfoot,” he said softly. “I think you’ve found your match.”


	5. A Bad Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione studies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Reader,
> 
> I am so sorry. I go hyperfocused on my other story (The Last Granger) that I forgot to write the next chapter for this one. Please forgive me.
> 
> I'm going to create a schedule to make sure that I keep up with the postings for both. I think I'll post this one on Sundays and the other one on Thursdays.
> 
> Like, subscribe, all that great stuff.
> 
> -MTW
> 
> Disclaimer: I wish I was JK Rowling.

**A Bad Dream**

_ I wake up, it's a bad dream _

_ No one on my side. _

_ I was fighting _

_ But I just feel too tired to be fighting _

_ Guess I'm not the fighting kind. _

 

  * __“A Bad Dream”, Keane (as performed by Tufts Beelzebubs)__



 

 

Hermione sighed, stretching. She had spent every day in the library since she arrived at Potter Manor. Researching time travel and its techniques was difficult for two reasons. One, she had no idea what kind of spell Bellatrix had used. Two, Lily and Remus had no idea, and they joined her on most days. So, she was forced to put her research on hold for the time being. She thought about doing a quick spell to switch the book covers, but she figured that that might not be enough. So, instead, she began to read the magical fairy tales that were strewn across the library. Hermione loved fairy tales and mysticism. When she was younger, before she learned that she was a witch, she wanted to become an author. A part of her still did; however, since Harry had been her number one priority, she knew that those dreams would have to wait or be completely thrown out the window. But Harry was not there. He was not even a thought yet. So she researched fairy tales and decided to rewrite some of them at some point. Maybe with a twist. She just wanted to learn more about wizarding fables first. Ron had been passionate about them at the Lovegood home, but she had no chance to research. She sighed one more time as she read about Ivan the Terrible, who was a real person according to Muggle history. According to the Wizarding World, though, he was a fictional being that tortured everyone he loved at a young age. He was definitely not a Russian Tsar.

 

“For the love of Merlin,” Lily grumbled. “If you sigh one more time, Hermione, I’m kicking you out of the library.” Hermione snapped her book shut, staring a the redhead. The green eyes glaring back at her reminded her so much of Harry that she almost cried.  _ Almost _ . “Why don’t we watch the boys practice Quidditch?” Hermione shook her head vehemently. Remus set down his book and smiled.

 

“That’s a wonderful idea, Lily,” he said.  _ No, _ Hermione thought.  _ No, no, no, no! _ But no matter how much she protested, the two Gryffindors dragged the third along with them. They allowed her to bring one book, and she seized her chance. Grabbing a novel on time travel theory, she cradled it to her chest as the other two led her to the Quidditch pitch. She sighed and plopped into one of the small benches on the side of the pitch, taking out a quill and parchment. Lily and Remus laughed but left her alone.

 

“Lily!” James shouted. The noise did not phase Hermione. What startled her was Sirius standing directly in front of her.

 

“What are you working on, love?” Hermione quickly shut her book and bottled her ink.

 

“Nothing,” she said defensively, looking up at him. He smirked at her.

 

“Researching time travel?” Hermione blanched at his words.  _ He can’t know _ , she thought. As if sensing her discomfort, James stepped in.

 

“Back off,” he growled, pushing Sirius back. Sirius stared at James, stunned.

 

“What’s wrong with learning about time travel?” Sirius said. Hermione sighed.

 

“McGonagall told me to study up on it,” Hermione lied. “She told me that since I was so far ahead, I needed something to keep my mind occupied.” It was a half-truth. McGonagall had told her all of that. She just did not tell her to research time travel. James visibly relaxed and turned to her.

 

“You told me not to tell anyone,” he said, helping her with his story. Sirius looked between the two.

 

“Why does it matter that you’re studying it?” He asked. Lily interrupted.

 

“Someone might think she’s up to something,” Lily explained. “Like maybe she wants to cheat at sports. Or that she’ll win the lottery.” Hermione snorted at that.

 

“Hardly,” she said. Sirius seemed to have a realization.

 

“Are you trying to find a way to save your friends?” He asked softly. Hermione stiffened but nodded.

 

“I may have already found a way,” she murmured before clearing her throat. “But meddling with time is dangerous. It can cause catastrophic events. For example, Alexander DeGrawe tried to jump forward in time to see if his wife and he would have children. He accidentally jumped too far forward. Instead of one year, he wound up thirty years in the future, and with no way of returning. So, when he showed up at his house, he found his wife had become pregnant with another man about twenty years prior. He then rapidly aged in front of her and died.” The group shuddered at the thought. “There’s really only one semi-successful case of someone time traveling, and they barely classify it as successful. Henrietta Lopard managed to go ahead twenty years, returned, went twenty years into the past, and returned again. But her mental state was too fragile, to begin with. The 1850’s were a dark time in French Wizarding history.” She shivered at the thought. “They used a spell to send her through time, but the effects did not do well on her mind. She returned catatonic at first, then had the mind of a five-year-old. She never recovered, and died a year later due to an altercation.” She had not noticed, but Sirius’s hand was rubbing circles on her back, soothing her. She glanced at him with a quirked eyebrow. He winked at her and continued his movements. Remus and Lily gave each other knowing glances while James glared at Sirius. That did not stop him.

 

“I know it’s hard to deal with,” Sirius said softly. “But if you need any help, let us know.” Hermione nodded appreciatively, standing up.

 

“I’m just going to go put this in my room,” she said quietly. She needed to get away from Sirius. He was turning out to be dangerous. She was trying not to change the past. During her research, she had learned about fixed points in time. She had a hunch that James and Lily’s deaths were a fixed point, which she hoped against hope that she was wrong, but she didn’t want to chance it. It was why she felt comfortable talking to James about the future. Although, she did not talk to him about it often now. Sirius was attached to his hip. He never got a chance to talk to her alone, and she knew he was dying to find out more. She was surprised at how good he was at keeping her secret. Sirius had no clue. He needed to be kept in the dark. Same with Lily and Remus. None of them could know.

 

She was startled by the sound of feet following her. She turned to see Sirius hurrying after her. She stopped, taking in his appearance. He was sweating - from the heat or working out, she wasn’t sure. He had wind-swept, wavy locks that came down to his shoulders. He had on Muggle jeans and a striped tee shirt. She rolled her eyes at how…  _ 70’s _ … he looked. He smirked at her.

 

“Want some company?” He asked. She quirked an eyebrow at him.

 

“You want to accompany me to my room,” she deadpanned. He smiled, nodding. He leaned on his broom. She sighed, rolling her eyes. “I’m not going to get rid of you if I say no.” He chuckled.

 

“Nope,” he said. She sighed again and turned around. She took a few steps before gesturing with her head for him to follow. They made their way through the maze in easy silence, Hermione trying to concentrate on how to navigate the maze while Sirius stared at her. She sighed as she felt his gaze on her.

 

“Just say it, Sirius,” she said.

 

“You are something special, you know that,” he said softly. She turned on him, cautious.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” She asked. He smiled.

 

“Well, for starters,” he said. “You do extracurricular studying. School hasn’t been out for five weeks, and you’re already studying. You also took your O.W.L.s in a week, and yet you don’t seem stressed out. You carry yourself like the world is out to get you, but you are relaxed around James.”

 

“James looks exactly like one of my best friends from back home,” Hermione muttered. “I am stressed out about my O.W.L.s. I just needed to find something to fill my time.” Sirius outright laughed.

 

“You are book smart, love,” he said. “But not street smart.” With that, he brushed past her. She let out a self-deprecating laugh.

 

“You have no idea what I know,” she said. He must have heard her, but she was done talking. She rushed ahead, placing her notes in her purse and the book on the bed. When she was done, she turned to find Sirius leaning up against her door frame, watching her. She sighed and dug into her purse, searching for something. She found the old scrapbook that she had been working on and turned to the middle. She stared at the hobby that had kept her sane while they had hunted Horcruxes. She found a picture of her, Ron, and Harry from a fifth year Hogsmeade trip. She smiled at the memory. That had been the day they formed Dumbledore’s Army. She took the picture out of the book and held it to her chest. Sirius looked at her with apprehension. She handed the picture to him. She knew it was a safe picture. There were no landmarks, no school robes - just her, her best friends, snow, and trees. He looked at the picture and gave her a quick glance. “The one in the middle is Harry,” she said softly. “He’s the one that looks like James. The one on the right is Ron. He was a bit of a prat, but…” She didn’t realize that there were tears in her eyes as she spoke. Sirius stared at her in awe. He wiped a stray tear that fell down her cheek.

 

“You’re right,” he murmured. “He does look like James.” This earned a tearful chuckle from Hermione. “No wonder you’d called him Harry the first time you saw him.” Hermione sniffled, staring at the picture with a smile. She watched the scene replay over and over again. She watched as they threw snowballs at the unseen Neville, Ginny, and Luna.

 

“We’d just agreed to start a secret dueling club,” she said. He looked at her in confusion. She stared at the picture. “There was an awful professor who wound up taking over the school at one point. The Headmistress was absent due to an illness, but she quickly came back and restored everything back to normal. But we’d decided to form a secret dueling club so that we could learn how to properly protect ourselves. Harry was the most advanced out of all of us, since he…” she stopped, trying to find the right words. “He dealt with a lot of Death Eaters in France. James reminds me of him so much. But then, all of you do.” She turned to look at Sirius as tears streamed down her face. “It’s like each of you is a piece of him.” Sirius stared at the girl - no, the  _ woman _ \- and returned her picture.

 

“Thank you for sharing this with me,” he said. She nodded, holding the picture as if life depended on it. He wiped away more tears before cupping her face. She took in a sharp breath and tried to pull away. “I’m not going to kiss you,” he murmured. That stopped her from moving. “I’m just looking at you.” There were butterflies in her stomach as she nodded. His thumb stroked her cheek. Feet on the stairs notified them of someone approaching. Hermione looked over Sirius’s shoulder to see Remus staring at the two. She blushed and walked back into her room, replacing the photograph. She had so many pictures she could not share with him. She just could not have him snooping through her purse. She heard him take in a sharp breath. She looked down to see part of one of the scars from the battle exposed on her right arm. She quickly hid it. Remus appeared in the doorway, making the already dark room even darker.

 

“James is looking for you two,” he said before walking back out of the room. Hermione nodded and grabbed a hair tie. She put her hair in a knot on top of her head. She had placed Disillusionment charms on her arms to cover up her scars from Bellatrix. She wore overall shorts and a crop top - something that she never thought that she would wear. She approached Sirius and stared up at him.

 

“Thank you for letting me share that with you,” she said softly. Sirius smiled down at her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

 

“Anytime, love,” he murmured into her ear. The butterflies were back and a shiver went down her spine. She knew that being around him was a bad idea, but she could not help it. He was incredibly attractive and living in the same house as her. She knew that they were going to run into him at some point. He led her down the stairs and back out to the gardens. He picked up his broom from outside the door and led her back to the Quidditch pitch. As they arrived, James ran over to Hermione. He saw the tears in her eyes and glared at Sirius.

 

“What did you do?” He asked. Sirius shook his head, but Hermione answered.

 

“It was me,” she responded. James looked down at her in concern. “I showed him a picture from my past.” James took in a breath and nodded.

 

“Prongs, mate, her best friend looked exactly like you,” Sirius said in amazement. “It’s kind of crazy.” James smiled at that, laughing.

 

“Well, maybe I’ll see the pictures at some point,” he said, glancing at Hermione. She gave a subtle nod and walked over to where Remus and Lily sat, sprawled out on the grass. She took their lead and lay down, staring up at the clouds. She closed her eyes for what felt like a few minutes. A shadow crossed her face about thirty minutes later.

 

“Is this that Hermione you keep talking about, Pads?” A male voice said. Hermione jumped up and pointed her wand at him. He was blond and handsome. He was not as tall as the other Marauders, but she knew who he was nonetheless. She quickly put her wand away.

 

“You must be Peter,” she said, trying to keep a neutral tone. He nodded, thoroughly terrified. “I’m Hermione Potter. The Potters adopted me after my parents were murdered in France.” Peter nodded and stuck his hand out. She took it, although it made her insides crawl.

 

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” he said with a shy smile. Hermione smiled brightly.

 

“Likewise,” she said. Sirius, James, and Remus chose that moment to tackle Peter. Hermione shrieked and jumped out of the way.

 

“WORMTAIL!” James shouted. Hermione rolled her eyes at the pile of boys on the ground. They were having a four-way wrestling match that seemed to be making no progress. Lily stood up and watched beside Hermione. The latter leaned in toward the other.

 

“My bet’s on Peter,” Hermione stage-whispered. Lily snickered and played along.

 

“Nah,” she stage-whispered back. “Remus has them all beat.”

 

“WHAT?” Sirius shouted, pinning Peter down as the poor boy tapped out. Sirius seemed to be trying to prove a point. He wrestled with James and won, which left Remus. It was a close one, but Sirius once again came out on top. Hermione and Lily laughed the entire time. “Don’t underestimate me, girls.” Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed Lily’s hand.

 

“Come on, Lils,” she said, wrapping her arm around Lily’s arm. “Let the children handle themselves. We can have adult talk inside.” She glanced back at Sirius as he was tackled by James. The two girls giggled as they walked into the house. Euphemia watched as the two young women entered the kitchen. She smiled. She had a feeling that these two women would change her boys’ lives.

 

“Hello, girls,” she said. Lily and Hermione sat at the counter at the island in the middle of the kitchen, grinning. Euphemia placed two plates in front of the witches. She had made a roast with a new recipe and she hoped it worked well. Hermione smiled sadly.

 

“Mum,” she said softly. “This tastes just like my mum’s cooking.” The thought warmed Euphemia’s heart. Hermione restrained tears as she looked at the woman who reminded her so much of her mother and Molly Weasley.

 

“I’m so glad,” Euphemia said. Lily smiled warmly and dug into her roast. The boys walked in at that moment.

 

“Wow, that smells amazing, Mrs. P,” Peter stated. Sirius came up behind Hermione and placed his head on her shoulder. She grimaced.

 

“You lot smell awful,” she said, covering her nose. Lily did the same motion. Sirius chuckled.

 

“You know you love us,” he said, wrapping his arms around Hermione.

 

“Ew! No! Get off!” She protested. He just laughed and picked up her fork. He cut a piece of the roast and put it in his mouth, his eyes never leaving Hermione. The moment felt incredibly intimate, but she rolled her eyes. “Go take a shower.” She pushed his face away and he whined but acquiesced. The four boys walked up the stairs, talking loudly to each other. Hermione sighed, shaking her head. She turned back to see Euphemia staring at her with a strange expression. “What?” She looked around her, checking to see if there was something around her. Lily smiled softly at her friend.

 

“He’s as bad as James,” she said. Hermione’s eyes widened and she shook her head.

 

“Sirius is just pranking me,” she insisted. Lily laughed.

 

“That was no prank,” Euphemia said in awe. The two girls stared at the woman before her. The smile on her face was huge. “I don’t think he realizes it yet, but I’m sure Sirius loves you.” Hermione froze before breaking into hysterical laughter.

 

“There’s no way he loves me!” She burst. Lily gave her a sympathetic look. “He’s just trying to prank me! I know it! Sirius Black is a notorious womanizer. He even told me that the thought of settling down terrifies him. ‘Why have one bird when you can have fifty?’” Her impression of him had the two other witches laughing, bringing her into the joviality. Fleaumont walked in on them giggling up a storm. He turned to Euphemia.

 

“Did you break into the liquor cabinet again?” He questioned, making the two girls laugh harder. Euphemia wiped a tear out of her eyes before kissing her husband on the cheek.

 

“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. Hermione and Lily calmed down enough to the point where their giggles were sparse and far between. The thundering footsteps brought the giggles back. When the four boys re-entered the kitchen, they stared at the two girls.

 

“What’s so funny?” Sirius asked. Hermione swatted at him.

 

“Hermione did a horrendous impression and it was incredibly funny,” Lily said. Hermione smiled at her.

 

“Who did you impersonate?” James asked. “And can we hear it.” Hermione clamped a hand over Lily’s mouth before the witch could speak.

 

“No one. And maybe some other time,” Hermione said. Peter stepped up.

 

“I want to hear it,” Peter said. Hermione flushed.

 

“Please don’t make me do it again,” she said. Lily started laughing again, causing James to stare at her. Sirius walked up to Hermione and placed his arm on her shoulder.

 

“Will you do it for me?” He murmured. Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved him off.

 

“Absolutely not,” she said. “Besides, Euphemia made a beautiful meal and we’re letting it waste.” The boys nodded at the prospect of food. Sirius pulled up a chair next to her and a plate appeared before him. He took a bite and moaned.

 

“Mum, this is delicious,” he said. Euphemia beamed at him.

 

“It’s a new recipe,” she said. “Now, eat up. You lot need your strength for tonight.” Hermione froze. Tonight was the full moon. Sirius looked at her in confusion.

 

“You alright, love?” She nodded in response.

 

“Just wondering what you’re doing tonight,” she responded, feigning ignorance. Sirius smiled.

 

“Over the summer, we have midnight Quidditch matches,” he said. She knew it was a lie, but she needed to play along. For now.

 

“Can I watch?” She asked. The four boys shook their heads.

 

“It’s a private match,” Sirius said. Hermione shrugged.

 

“If you don’t want me there, that’s fine,” she said. She knew the real reason. James cleared his throat.

 

“Mum’s not even allowed in on it,” he said. Hermione smiled as Euphemia shook her head.

 

“Don’t try to push them, dear,” she said. Fleaumont pulled his wife into the sitting room, leaving the teenagers to their munitions. A tap at the window caught their attention. An owl holding a thick parchment sat perched on the sill. Hermione shot up and opened the window. The owl moved from the sill to her hand. The talons dug into her skin but did not pierce her. She smiled as she pet the bird. Lily snorted, making Hermione turn.

 

“Alright there, Princess?” Lily said. Hermione blushed, removing the parchment from the owl. She gave it a treat and five Sickles. The bird cuddled under her chin and took off. Sirius let out a whistle.

 

“Someone has a way with animals,” he said. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked down. Her results were in. She tore into the letter and stared at them. The only O.W.L. she had not taken was the Divination one. So she had twelve O’s. She smiled at her results. She had done better than her last time taking them. Lily stood up and took the paper from her.

 

“Merlin’s beard, Hermione!” She exclaimed. “Twelve O.W.L.s? How the hell did you manage that?” Hermione smiled at her friend as the Marauders poured over her results.

 

“Shite,” Peter said. “You got perfect scores on all of them! How did you manage? Even Lily couldn’t do that!”

 

“Hey!” Lily and Hermione shouted at the same time.

 

“Lily is perfectly capable of everything she does,” Hermione said, defending her friend. Lily turned to her, grateful. “Besides, I like to study.”

 

“That’s an understatement,” Sirius said. Hermione glared at him. “Considering the fact that you’re studying time travel, I think that’s pretty evident.” Hermione ducked her head. She had assumed that Sirius was being mean. She was wrong. She missed Harry and Ron, and looking at her new friends reminded her too much of them. Sirius reminded her too much of Fred, and it was starting to hurt. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

 

“I need to go,” she whispered and fled up the stairs. She heard Sirius call after her. Her panic attack was coming, whether she liked it or not. When she reached her room, she knew that she would not calm down. So she went to the one place she knew she would feel fine. She ran up to the library and locked herself in. She slid down the door and wrapped her arms around her legs. She gulped in air, trying to calm herself. She began thinking logically.

 

Hermione thought about how she missed her friends, but she thought about how she, at that moment, had no way of returning to them. She thought of Fred, who was dead, and how she could not bring him back. She thought about how Sirius was treating her and realized that she secretly liked it. She knew she could not reciprocate. She effectively calmed herself down thinking about how she needed to make a plan. She sighed, standing up. She walked over to the bookshelves and pulled a book from the shelf. She started doing proper research on time travel. She spent hours researching. The next thing she knew, Padfoot was walking through the door, whining. She looked up and checked the time. She looked back at the dog, knowing full well that Sirius would remember this. She stood up and went over to the large black dog and smiled.

 

“Hello, Padfoot,” she whispered, scratching his ear. He tilted his head at her. She raised her eyebrows. “Would you prefer Snuffles?” He growled at that and she giggled. “Besides, I think Padfoot suits you.” The dog barked at that. “It’s one of my friend’s nicknames. You remind me of him.” The dog nuzzled into her hand, and Hermione knew exactly what he was trying to do. “I think I should go to bed, don’t you?” The dog barked, walked around her, and pushed her toward the door. She giggled and walked toward the door. Padfoot followed closely behind as the two descended from the library. Lily was already asleep, so Hermione kept silent as she let the dog out of the room. She shut the door and placed silencing charms around her bed like she did every night. She was exhausted from the day. By the time her head hit the pillow, she was out.

 

Hermione woke up much sooner than she expected. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost six. Sighing, she stood and put on a dressing gown, tiptoeing past Lily. She had a bag of Chocolate Frogs in her closet, and she took a few boxes with her as she walked out of her room towards Remus’s. She knew he would need the company. She silently made her way down to his room and opened his door. He groaned as the door squeaked.

 

“Bugger off,” he said. Hermione giggled at him and moved further into the room. Remus sat up, his eyes flashing gold. “What are you doing here?” Hermione dumped the packages on his bed and summoned a chair.

 

“I had a hunch that you’d need some chocolate,” she shrugged. Remus studied her for a moment. “Eat up. You’ll feel better.” He hesitantly took a Chocolate Frog and tore into it, watching her. She studied him for any new scars. She saw one on his elbow. “Rough game?” She asked, pointing to his elbow. He stared at the new scar.

 

“James got me good,” he sighed. “Dammit.” Hermione giggled and took out her wand. She healed his scar with ease. Remus stared at the spot where the scar had been. Hermione stood up and walked toward the door. “Hermione,” he called after her. She turned to him. “Thank you.” She smiled as she opened the door.

 

“You’re welcome.” She walked out of the room, letting the door swing shut softly behind her.

 

This was going to be a long summer.


	6. Don’t Stop Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius tries to prank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dearest Reader,
> 
> It's been a hot minute! Anyways, I've started college, and I should be able to write more often now.
> 
> Please read, write, and review!
> 
> \- MTW
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Still not J.K.

**Don’t Stop Me Now**

_ I'm burnin' through the sky yeah _

_ Two hundred degrees _

_ That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit _

_ I'm trav'ling at the speed of light _

_ I wanna make a supersonic woman of you _

  * “Don’t Stop Me Now”, Queen



  
  


Sirius stared at Hermione, contemplating what she could possibly be thinking. She had started reading her time-theory books in public now, and she was vigorously taking notes. Remus and Lily just read some Muggle fiction in chairs next to Hermione’s table by the staircase while James read a comic series that Lily introduced him to by the window. That left Sirius to his own devices nearest the fireplace. He decided that staring at Hermione would be the best way to get her attention. Or annoy her. So far, nothing had happened. But he remained hopeful.

 

“Sirius,” Remus chided, setting down his book and picking up a cup of tea next to him. “You’re going to bore holes in her head.” Hermione snorted and kept writing. Sirius smirked. So she knew he was staring at her. He twirled his wand mindlessly, thinking of something to do. He huffed loudly.

 

“Sirius,” Lily said, not looking up from her novel. “Why don’t you go chase some tail down at the local pub?” Sirius barked out a laugh.

 

“That’s rich,” he said. “Maybe you and James should shag in the corner.” Everyone looked up at him in disgust. Even James.

 

“Why the fuck would you even suggest that?” James asked, scowling. Hermione glared at her new brother.

 

“Language, James.” James stuck his tongue out at her and she rolled her eyes in return. Sirius smiled at the brunette witch as almost everyone went back to what they were doing. Lily smiled knowingly at Sirius. He looked at her in confusion.

 

“What?” Lily shook her head and shut her book.

 

“You look at her like James looks at me,” she said. James smiled and sat up in his armchair. Hermione looked around in shock.

 

“You  _ do _ notice me!” James shouted excitedly. Lily rolled her eyes.

 

“It’s kind of hard not to with that big head of yours,” Lily quipped. Hermione shook her head in annoyance and went back to studying. Sirius watched her for a minute before James’s comments interrupted his thoughts.

 

“You’re right. He does.” Sirius turned and glared at his best friend.

 

“What does that bloody mean?” He growled.

 

“It means that you are in love with me and you can’t help it,” Hermione said, not looking up from her notes. Sirius jaw dropped in offense as he flounced around for words. “It also means you’ll probably turn into a blubbering sap at some point.”

 

“Hey!” James and Sirius shouted at the same time.

 

“Sirius Black does not fall in love,” Sirius said with indignation.

 

“I am not a blubbering sap!” James protested. Hermione ignored them both, instead picking up her paper and intently studying an equation she wrote down. Sirius turned toward James who shrugged and went back to reading about the caped crusader. Peeved, Sirius looked back at Hermione and thought about how to get back at her. He quickly flicked his wand at her, trying to change her hair color. She absentmindedly waved her hand, shielding herself. Sirius cocked his head to the side and tried to send another spell her way. Hermione rolled her eyes as he kept sending spells at her shield. He growled, causing everyone else to stare at him. Sighing, she stood up, closing her book.

 

“I’m quite done for the day,” she said, pointing at the setting sun. “I’m going to go see what Mum’s made, alright?” With that, she went down the stairs with her notes, leaving a frustrated Sirius and a confused group of teenagers. Lily looked at her watch and jumped up.

 

“I was supposed to be at Marlene’s fifteen minutes ago!” She quickly left the library, rushing down the stairs. James, Sirius, and Remus cleaned the library.

 

“I am not in love,” Sirius muttered under his breath.

 

“Damn right you’re not,” James said. Whether or not it was a threat confused Sirius. “You’ve never had a serious girlfriend and you’ve always said that you’d be a bachelor for life.” Sirius nodded at that.

 

“Exactly,” Sirius said. Except his heart was no longer agreeing with that sentiment. Remus shook his head as he picked up the full tray of cups.

 

“You need to be careful with her,” Remus said. “You have a reputation. You can’t make her another notch in your bedpost.” Sirius scoffed.

 

“It’s not like that at all,” Sirius said. “I just feel like she needs to lighten up a bit. No romance at all. Just platonic love, mate.” The three walked down the stairs that didn’t lead to Hermione’s room. They made their way to the kitchen, where Hermione was helping Euphemia. Sirius smiled at Hermione which earned him an elbow in the ribs from Remus. Rolling his eyes, Sirius took out his wand and swished it at Hermione, fully intending to change the color of her hair. Nothing happened and he groaned in frustration. “‘Mione! You’re a right swot, you are.” Hermione turned and glared at Sirius. He regretted his words immediately.

 

“Sirius Black, you will regret that,” she hissed. Euphemia turned and glared at the two.

 

“Stop that now, you two,” she said. “You can’t have a row in my kitchen. Now, sit. Dinner’s ready.” Hermione continued to glare at Sirius but obeyed. He followed suit, sitting directly across from her at the kitchen table. Euphemia summoned the food and everyone dug in.

 

“Where’s dad?” James asked. Euphemia smiled.

 

“He has a late meeting tonight,” she explained. “He’ll be home soon enough.” As if on cue, the fireplace roared to life and Fleaumont walked into the kitchen. He let out a frustrated sigh as Euphemia walked over to her husband. The two kissed each other. James scoffed while Hermione sighed. Sirius raised an eyebrow at her but she ignored him, staring at her parents wistfully. He shook his head at her and dug into the food in front of him.

 

“The bloody Lestranges are at it again,” Fleaumont ranted as he settled in next to Hermione. He mussed up her hair and she ducked her head, placing her fork on her plate. Fleaumont chuckled at her. “How are things here, Pumpkin?” Hermione smiled at him, but James answered.

 

“Hermione’s been researching,” James rolled his eyes. “She needs to find something else to do with her time.” Hermione glared at him.

 

“That’s all and well, Jamie,” Fleaumont said. “But I believe I asked Hermione.”

 

“Like  _ Jamie _ said,” Hermione said, smirking at James’s discomfort. “I’ve been researching. Muggle science is incredibly fascinating.” Fleaumont and Hermione spoke about different ways Muggle science and magic overlapped. Sirius turned to James and Remus and winked at them, pulling out his wand once more. He tried to charm her hair once more but to no avail.

 

“Bloody Hell, Hermione!” Sirius shouted. She jumped at his exclamation. Everyone stared at him.

 

“Mate, just let it go,” Remus said after a moment. “She’s clearly more advanced than you.” Sirius grumbled and pushed away from the counter. He left and stormed up the stairs to his room. He slammed the door to his room as he heard footsteps behind him. His door opened seconds later to reveal an enraged James.

 

“What the actual fuck are you on about?” James demanded. Sirius backed up, startled. James was never angry at Sirius. Never like this.

 

“I’m just frustrated that she’s outsmarted me,” Sirius admitted softly. James smacked him on the side of the head. “Bloody hell!”

 

“She’s been crying her eyes out,” James said. “You caused her to have a panic attack and now she feels guilty.” Sirius’s eyes widened.

 

“She had a panic attack?” James sighed and nodded.

 

“Apparently, she’s been having them frequently. This is the first one she’s had in front of

us, so we had no idea. Mum’s trying to get her a calming draught.” Sirius ran a hand through his hair.

 

“I didn’t know…”

 

“Maybe think next time?” James offered. Sirius sighed and nodded. “And don’t prank her. She’s been through enough.”

 

“Fair enough,” Sirius said. James clapped him on the shoulder and steered him out of his room. The two joined everyone in the sitting room. Hermione and Euphemia sat on the couch by the fire while Remus and Fleaumont were playing Wizard’s Chess off to the side. Hermione stood up and stretched as soon as Sirius entered the room.

 

“I’m going to bed,” she said softly, not meeting anyone’s eyes. She brushed past Sirius, whose face fell at her exit. Euphemia smiled sadly at Sirius and patted the seat on the couch next to her.

 

“Come,” she said. Sirius listened at once, sitting next to the older witch. “Now, since you are hell-bent on getting Hermione into your good graces, it’s high time we dealt with how you go about doing it.” Sirius rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m just friends with her, nothing more,” he said, standing up. He went to exit the room, but Euphemia’s next sentence stopped him.

 

“You may not think you love her, but you do.” He halted in the door frame and turned around slowly. Euphemia shrugged. “Slytherins are good at reading between the lines.”

“Mum, even I can see he loves her,” James said from his seat next to Remus. Sirius grumbled.

 

“Sirius, darling, you have nothing to be afraid of,” she said as she walked over to him. “You only need to let yourself feel. Or, at the very least, allow yourself to realize that those emotions are there.” Sirius sighed and nodded.

 

“Hypothetically speaking,” he said, “ _ if  _ I happened to have feelings for her - which I don’t. I’m just asking for in the future. What would you have me do?” Euphemia grabbed Sirius by the arm and pulled him into the kitchen. Once there, she sat him down in one of the chairs at the counter and crossed her arms over her chest, raising one eyebrow.

 

“How do you feel whenever you’re around her?” She asked. Sirius smiled, sighing.

 

“Alive,” he said softly. “She makes me want to be better. Do better.” Euphemia nodded.

 

“You haven’t snuck out to the bars since you’ve met her,” she said. Sirius looked at her, confused. “Last summer, you and James used to sneak into clubs and bars. You’d bring home a different girl every night. You haven’t done that once this summer, and we’ll be going shopping for supplies in two weeks.” Sirius cleared his throat.

 

“So? What does that have to do with…” he trailed off, realizing the implications. And that she was right. “Bollocks.” Euphemia raised both her eyebrows at him. “Sorry, Mum. But… I don’t think I’m in love with her. I just fancy her, ya know? There’s a difference. I’ve only known her for two months.”

 

“That’s enough time to harbor a crush,” Euphemia pointed out. Sirius scowled but did not argue.

 

“What should I do?” He asked. The older witch smiled.

 

“What do you want to do?”

 

“I want to be serious with her,” he said. Euphemia smiled at him and he gave her a confused look. “What?”

 

“You normally would have made a pun by now,” she said. “Sirius, as long as you know that Hermione is a strong woman and respect her boundaries, then you have my blessing.” Sirius let out a breath.

 

“But… where do I start?” He asked. Euphemia smiled kindly at him.

 

“I would apologize first,” she said. “Then learn about her likes and dislikes. Try to get her things that she likes and learn about her hobbies.” Sirius nodded and stood up.

 

“Thank you,” he said as he left the kitchen. He took the stairs two at a time and was at Hermione’s door before he knew it. He knocked softly before entering. “Hermione?” He was met by soft cries. He rushed to her bed, realizing that she was having a nightmare.

 

“Harry,” she whimpered. “Harry, run.” He sat on her bed and ran a soothing hand up and down the length of her arm. It took a few moments, but she began to calm down. She was completely calm for a few seconds before startling awake and sitting up. She shook like a leaf. Sirius shushed her, drawing her attention to him.

 

“You’re alright,” he said, pulling her into him. She stiffened at first. “I’m right here. You’re safe. No one can hurt you.” The two sat in silence for minutes before Hermione calmed down enough to talk.

 

“What are you doing here?” She asked in a flat tone. He held her to him as he spoke.

 

“I originally came in to apologize for my actions earlier,” he said softly. “Then I realized that you were having a nightmare, and that took precedence over everything else.” Hermione giggled.

 

“Sirius Black? Apologizing?” She joked. He chuckled as he ran soothing circles around her back.

 

“I’ve been known to do that from time to time,” he said as he released her. She clung to his arms. “I am sorry, love. I was a wanker. Can you forgive me?” She looked down at her sheets for a few moments, thinking. He watched as she made room for him on her bed.

 

“Can you spend the night with me?” She asked softly. The question threw him for a loop. “I’m scared to go back to sleep, and you being here is actually really comforting.” He nodded in understanding as he settled in next to her. He lay on his side as she curled into him, her hands on his chest. She drew lazy circles on him as they lay there in silence. “I forgive you,” she said softly after several minutes of silence. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. That night, Hermione slept soundly for the first time thanks to Sirius.


	7. Golden Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and James bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dearest Reader,
> 
> Wow, another chapter so soon? Could it be because I'm doing a rewrite on the other piece? (Answer: yes, yes it is. I wanted different songs and a different take, but then I had a realization about the story, and well - you'll see if you read it). Anyways, here you go!  
> Please read, write, and review!  
> -MTW
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I'm not J.K. Rowling.

**Golden Days**

 

_Oh don't you wonder when the light begins to fade?_

_And the clock just makes the colors turn to grey_

_Forever younger growing older just the same_

_All the memories that we make will never change_

  * “Golden Days”, Panic! at the Disco



 

Hermione sighed as she looked through her scrapbook, flicking her wand to remove and rearrange pictures. She sat alone in the library while Lily and Euphemia discussed the upcoming shopping trip downstairs. She had no clue what the Marauders were up to. Since everyone else was busy, she had decided to reorganize her scrapbook. She had a feeling that she was going to have memories from this time that would be added to her collection, so she started putting the photos that she already had in chronological order. Remus and Peter had taken pictures of everyone outside a couple of days ago and had given her copies of the photos. Now, as the old and new images floated in front of her, she grew tearful. She sniffed and wiped away stray tears as she watched Ron and Lavender kiss, or when she and Harry danced around at Fleur and Bill’s wedding.

 

She never noticed James enter.

 

“There you are!” He said, causing Hermione to jump. She quickly flicked her wand and the pictures neatly stacked themselves into piles by year. “We’ve been searching for you everywhere… Hey, what’s wrong?” She shook her head, scoffing.

 

“I’m being silly,” she said. James walked over to her and sat down on the ground at her feet.

 

“Spill the tea, sis,” he said. Hermione gave him a bewildered look and he shrugged. “It got you to stop crying. Besides, I think that’ll be our code for we need to talk. Just for us two. I know you trust me more than anyone else here, so.” He sat up straighter and stared at her with a serious look on his face. “Spill the tea, sis.” Hermione burst out laughing at how ridiculous he sounded. It took her a few moments to realize that how serious he was.

 

“I was working on a scrapbook for Harry,” she said. “Before I showed up here. But now it’s a scrapbook for me. Or Sirius. Or Remus. Or you or Lily. Someone here should have it. Harry doesn’t need to have pictures from both of my timelines-”

 

“He should, though,” James said. Hermione quirked an eyebrow. “He grew up without us. He should have something good to remember us. We’ll take a shiteload of pictures in the years to come to put in your scrapbook.”

 

“Won’t everyone become suspicious if we just start taking pictures of each other?” James laughed at her question.

 

“We’re the Marauders, love,” he said. “We love having our pictures taken. Sirius especially. He’s taken a couple of Muggle modeling jobs for the hell of it. And Lily and her friends love posing for the camera, too. The only wild card is you.” Hermione nodded her head, thinking.

 

“Okay,” she said, smiling. “Let’s make Harry a scrapbook.” James perked up.

 

“Brilliant!” He said. “Can I help you with what you have?” Hermione smiled, flicking her wand while she moved to sit next to James on the ground. He picked up the now empty book while she sorted the pictures. James picked up one of the pictures from the Yule Ball and smiled.

 

“Is this…” Hermione looked at the picture and smiled. It was Harry and Parvati at the beginning of the dance. They twirled around the floor awkwardly while Hermione and Viktor looked fluid and elegant.

 

“That was fourth year,” she explained. James looked at her in confusion. “Dumbledore allowed the Ministry to bring back the Triwizard Tournament. And Harry couldn’t find a date in time, so he asked Parvati. He had no clue what he was getting into. This was the Yule Ball, and they asked the champions to dance with their dates.” She remembered waking up after the second task to Viktor, then wondering where Harry was. The few days after that were a blur as Viktor followed her to the library and asked her to the dance. She flushed at the memory of how happy she had been to be on his arm, just to make Ron jealous.

 

James pointed at Viktor and Hermione in the picture.

 

“Were you a champion?” Hermione laughed, shaking her head.

 

“No,” she said. “I was the date of the Durmstrang champion. Viktor Krum. He was… will be a Seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch team. I first saw him at the World Cup.”

 

“Bloody Hell, ‘Mione,” James said. “How’d you meet?” Hermione blushed, thinking about the incident.

 

“I was in the library when he tried to escape from his hoard of admirers. He sat down at my table and hid behind my stack of books. He didn’t see me until a few minutes later. He then started meeting me in the library at every chance he could get. I started avoiding the library, but he followed me wherever I went.” She blushed, thinking about Viktor. “He reminded me of a puppy. It was quite cute. He was my first kiss. And he was quite the gentleman. Never pushed me into anything I didn’t want to do.” She sighed, thinking back to the second task. “The second task of the tournament, the person closest to each champion was taken and placed at the bottom of the Black Lake. Care to wager a guess who was his?”

 

James chuckled and set the picture down and picked up another from the fourth year pile. It was a picture of Fred and Hermione at the World Cup.

 

“Who’s that?” James said, pointing at Fred. Hermione sucked in a breath. James put the picture down. “If he’s a touchy subject, you don’t need to say anything.” Hermione let out a breath and shook her head.

 

“That’s Fred,” she said, a lump forming in her throat. “He was brave and kind, and funny. And would’ve worshipped the ground you and your friends walk on. He was a Beater for the Gryffindor team while at Hogwarts.”

 

“Someone has a type,” James said. Hermione smacked his arm as the two laughed.

 

“Nothing ever came of our… relations,” Hermione said softly. James turned his head toward her. “He died in the final battle… a few hours before I came back…” James wrapped his arms around Hermione.

 

“I’m so sorry,” James said. “Sometimes, I forget you’ve been through so much.” Hermione sniffled and wiped at her eyes. She had not realized she was crying. James let her go and set the picture down. He picked up a picture of Ron and Harry standing with Sirius and Remus.

 

“Wow,” James said. “Sirius looks like hell.” Hermione could not help herself. She began to laugh. She laughed so hard that James became concerned. She only stopped when she heard footsteps on the stairs. James quickly picked up the photos and placed them inside the album. Sirius entered the library, confused and concerned.

 

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding?” Sirius said. Hermione and James smirked at each other then burst into laughter again. Sirius just stared at them in confusion. “What’s so funny?”

 

“James said something funny,” Hermione said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. Sirius rolled his eyes at the two.

 

“Well, Mum says that lunch is ready,” he said. “Oh, and letters are in.” Hermione smiled at Sirius, nodding and standing.

 

“Thank you, Sirius,” she said. He smiled at her and winked before heading down the stairs.

 

“Yeah,” James said, causing Hermione to turn to him. “Definitely don’t have a type.” She rolled her eyes while stooping over and picking up the scrapbook. She opened the book to the pictures and found the picture of her, Ron, and Harry. She removed the picture, placing the scrapbook on the table. She quickly pulled out her wand and made a duplicate of the picture. She stashed her wand in her back pocket and handed the duplicate picture to James. He took the picture as he stood up, looking at it in confusion. “What is it?”

 

“That’s fifth year,” Hermione said. “Ron, Harry, and me. You can keep that.” James realized what he was holding and tears sprung to his eyes.

 

“Really?” He asked, awestruck. Hermione smiled, nodding. He hugged her tightly and she was sure she heard sniffling. “Thank you,” he said as he released her.

 

“Any time, James,” Hermione said as she scooped up the scrapbook. “Now, let’s go see the letters.” James followed behind her as she put away the scrapbook and went into the kitchen. Lily immediately accosted Hermione.

 

“I got it!” She exclaimed. “I’m Head Girl!” Hermione smiled at Lily, laughing joyously with her friend.

 

“That’s amazing, Lily,” Hermione said. “I wonder who Head Boy is.” Of course, she knew after her conversation with Sirius in previous years, but she wanted to see if Lily knew.

 

“It’s probably Remus,” Lily said flippantly. Remus walked in at that moment and cleared his throat.

 

“I’m not Head Boy,” Remus said, lifting up his normal Prefect badge. Hermione smiled and turned to Lily, who looked confused.

 

“But who else could it be?” Lily asked.

 

“Hey, James,” Hermione called. “Why don’t you check your letter?” Lily stared at Hermione as if she had six eyes.

 

“What does that have to do with -”

 

“HOW THE BLOODY HELL AM I HEAD BOY?” James said, standing up from his seat at the counter. Lily stared between Hermione and James in shock.

 

“How did you know that?” Lily asked, dumbstruck. Hermione laughed.

 

“Magic,” she said, moving her hands in an outward arc away from each other. Euphemia entered the kitchen at that moment and smiled at Hermione.

 

“Well, dear, I have your letter,” she said, handing the letter to Hermione. The younger witch took the letter from the older witch and opened it. The contents surprised her.

 

“How am I your replacement?” Hermione asked. “I haven’t even attended Hogwarts yet.”

 

“Easy,” Remus said. “None of the other Gryffindor girls want the position. It went to you because you were the only one left.” Hermione stared at the familiar Prefect badge and sighed.

 

“I just wanted a normal year…” she said, laying her head on the counter. Suddenly, a pair of arms surrounded her. “Gerroff!” She exclaimed, sitting up. Sirius laughed as she tried to shove him off of her.

 

“Love, if you thought this was going to be a normal year, you were wrong,” he said. “Prongs and I have all sorts of havoc planned. Right, mate?” Hermione giggled, trying to hold in her laughter.

 

“We, uh, may have a problem,” James said as he lifted the Captain badge and the Head Boy badge. Sirius stood up, keeping his arm around Hermione.

 

“Prongs! You’re pulling my leg,” Sirius said. James shook his head, and Hermione burst out laughing. Lily still stared dumbstruck between everyone. Remus leaned against the counter. Euphemia watched off to the side, smiling with pride. “Well, then, Hermione and I will just have to pull pranks now.” Hermione lifted up her Prefect badge and Sirius groaned. “That’s alright, love. You can be quite sexy when you take command.” Hermione blushed and shoved Sirius.

 

“Again,” James said, looking at Hermione. “You definitely don’t have a type.” Sirius turned to Hermione, who glared at James, calculating.

 

“At least I can control myself around the opposite gender,” she said. Remus snorted and Lily snapped out of her stupor and laughed. James and Sirius turned on her.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean, kitten?” Sirius said, his voice murderous. Hermione knew he would not hurt her. James just glared at her. She shrugged.

 

“It means that I don’t lose composure in front of the person I like,” she said as she gathered up her things. She paused for a moment. “Maybe the Sorting Hat was right. I should’ve been in Slytherin.” With that, she hooked her arm through Lily’s arm and the two girls walked out of the room, leaving behind stunned Marauders.

 

“Were you really almost sorted into Slytherin?” Lily whispered as they entered the sitting room. Hermione smiled, nodding.

 

“I’m a Muggleborn, though, so I doubt I would fit in there,” Hermione said. Lily nodded in understanding. Euphemia walked in as the two girls settled into the couch by the fire.

 

“I think you broke them,” the older witch said. Hermione laughed.

 

“Good,” she said. “James has been teasing me all day. I wanted some payback.” Lily smirked.

 

“You definitely should’ve been a Slytherin.”


	8. Something That I Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James confronts Sirius part one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dearest Reader,
> 
> It's ya girl, back at it again with another update. I'm going crazy with my school work, so I'm gonna try to update as often as I can.
> 
> Anyway, please read, write, and review!  
> -MTW
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Still not JK.

**Something That I Want**

 

_ I'm a girl who's got a notion _

_ I'm a gonna show you my magic potion _

_ I could shop till I drop right to the floor _

_ And I get right up and I want some more, more, more _

  * “Something That I Want”, Grace Potter



 

Sirius sighed as he watched Hermione and Lily laughing at a magazine on the side of the pitch. The two witches had been bonding over the course of the last three weeks, and while Sirius was happy that Hermione had a new friend, it meant less time with him. He loved being around her. He loved hearing her laugh. He loved her face when she found a particularly difficult problem. He loved - 

 

He stopped himself mid-flight.

 

Sirius Black did not love anybody. Let alone some girl he met less than three months ago.

 

But Hermione was not just some girl. She was brilliant, charming, cunning, brave, loyal, and insanely sexy.

 

Sirius decided to focus on something else regarding her. She had at least taken her promise to heart and was eating more. And as he stared at her, he noticed that the pencil skirt she wore showed off some curves -

 

The Quaffle hit him in the stomach and he fell backward briefly. He heard Hermione yelp, but he steadied himself and glared at James.

 

“What the fuck, mate?” Sirius hissed. James glared back, nearing Sirius.

 

“We need to have a talk,” James said. He pointed his broom toward the ground and landed gracefully. Sirius followed.

 

“Are you two alright?” Hermione asked. James smiled at her. “Would you like some tea, James?” James chuckled and shook his head.

 

“Sorry, ‘Mione,” he said. “I’m afraid I’d spill it. No, Pads and I need to talk strategy. You two keep reading your magazines.” With that, James and Sirius headed down towards the woods by the outskirts of the pitch. Sirius felt a sense of dread. Remus was visiting his mother, who was incredibly sick, and Peter was with his family, his mother also sick, so he was stuck with an enraged Prongs. James whirled on Sirius as soon as the two were out of earshot.

 

“What do you want with my sister?” James said, glaring at Sirius. Sirius narrowed his eyes at his best friend.

 

“Really? We’re having this talk?” Sirius asked half-jokingly.

 

“I need you to be serious for once in your life,” James said. “And if you make a name pun, I’m sending Lily and Hermione after you. Now, I’ll ask again - what are your intentions with my sister?”

 

“I like her, alright?” Sirius said, going on the defensive. “I want to go out with her.” James raised an eyebrow.

 

“Like you did with Marlene in fifth year? Or like the girls you typically hang out with?” Sirius glared at James.

 

“Wow, James,” Sirius deadpanned. “You think so highly of your supposed best friend. It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong.”

 

“Now, that’s the thing,” James said, stepping closer. “You sleep around with a bunch of girls, yet you claim that you want to date Hermione. You cannot hurt Hermione. She’s been through so much.”

 

“I know, James,” Sirius said. “I know -”

 

“No,” James said, getting in Sirius’s face. “You don’t. She’s had one real relationship and one real love. And the boy she loved was killed. So, when I say you cannot hurt her, I do not say it as a brother. I say it as a protector.” James stared into Sirius’s eyes as he said the next words. “No matter what happens, you will not hurt her.” With that, James left. Sirius grasped for straws, trying to understand what just happened.

 

Her first love had been  _ killed _ . Was Harry her first love? Who was this first love? He had so many questions as he slowly walked back towards the pitch. James and Lily were nowhere to be found.

 

Just an enraged Hermione.

 

“He told you about Fred.” It was a statement. Sirius nodded numbly. She sighed, taking his hand. “I dealt with James, and I’m assuming Lily will be dealing with him, too.” She tugged on his hand and he followed her through the maze. He realized that he had left his shirt on the pitch, but he did not care at that point. Hermione was touching him, as opposed to him touching her. They somehow made it to her room, where she went into her beaded bag and retrieved a scrapbook. She discreetly rummaged through a pile of pictures and plucked a picture out of the stash. She placed the scrapbook on her bed before handing the picture to him. It was a picture of identical twin, redhead males. They smiled and waved at the camera from their broomsticks before setting off fireworks in the sky. “The one on the right is Fred,” she said softly as she produced another picture of the red-haired twin. This one was a picture of Fred and Hermione at some Quidditch event. The two were laughing while Fred held Hermione tightly. Normally, Sirius would have been jealous; instead, he felt saddened. Fred seemed like the type of person he would have been friends with.

 

“What happened to him?” Sirius asked. Hermione sighed.

 

“There was an explosion, and a wall collapsed on him,” she said after a moment. “His twin, George, pulled him out of the debris. His whole family was devastated. I was…” She choked on her words. Sirius put the pictures on her bed and pulled her to him.

 

“Hey,” he said. He soothed her, smoothing her hair and rubbing circles into her back. She choked on her sobs while he calmed her down. Several minutes later, she finally calmed down enough to speak.

 

“I’ve never been able to grieve his death,” she admitted. “I’ve never been able to grieve anyone. Everything was still happening when I came here.” She clamped a hand over her mouth and her eyes bugged out.

 

“If it’s something you can’t tell me, then don’t say anything,” Sirius said. If he was being honest, it hurt that she could not share with him, but he understood. He could never tell anyone about his family. He was lazily drawing patterns in her back as the two stood in her room. “Why don’t we go eat something? See if that will cheer you up.” Hermione nodded and the two exited her room.

 

It took three days for Sirius and Hermione to be alone again. James had made it a mission to make it so that Sirius was never alone with Hermione. It did not help that Remus came back that night with tears in his eyes and an incredibly sad tale.

 

“My mom died in my arms,” Remus said, sniffling. “And my dad kicked me out as soon as she passed. Claimed that she was the only reason I was able to stay. So I took everything I had left there, packed it in my suitcase, and brought it with me.”

 

“I’m going to have a word with Lyall,” Fleaumont growled. Euphemia sipped her tea and placed her hand on her husband’s arm. He immediately calmed down.

 

“You cannot go in there wands blazing,” she said calmly. “Besides, the man is a drunkard. He cannot listen to reason. Remus is practically a son already. What’s one more child?” With that, Remus settled in, and Remus and James spent most of their time with Sirius. He would try desperately to catch Hermione’s eye, and he was somewhat successful. But they were never alone.

Two nights before the last full moon before the term started, Sirius, Hermione, Lily, James, Remus, and Peter sat around a bonfire around the Quidditch pitch. Sirius had knicked a couple bottles of Fleaumont’s Ogden’s Finest Firewhiskey, much to Hermione’s chagrin. Peter grabbed the full one and tapped it with his wand, a wicked grin on his face.

 

“How about a game of Truth or Dare?” He asked mischievously. Everyone but Hermione groaned.

 

“What? Why is that a bad thing?” Since she had been the only one not drinking, she had a clear head. Lily giggled at a memory.

 

“Last time we played, Remus wound up flying around the Ravenclaw Tower shouting his undying love for the Grey Lady,” the redhead explained. Remus ran a hand over his face, hiding his blush. Sirius chuckled and playfully nudged Hermione’s shoulder.

 

“I’m in,” he said, putting a hand on the bottle. James groaned and followed Sirius’s lead. Slowly, everyone except Hermione had their hand on the bottle. Sirius smirked at her.

 

“Well?” He said. “What are you waiting for?” Hermione rolled her eyes and placed her hand on the bottle. A gentle, white light erupted around the circle. Peter put the bottle down and spun it. It landed on Remus, who groaned before taking a swig.

 

“Remus,” Peter said. “Truth or dare?”

 

“Dare,” Remus said. Peter had a wicked grin on his face.

 

“I dare you to slow dance with Hermione,” he said. Sirius glared at him. Hermione laughed and flicked her wand. Some music began filling the air as she stood and walked over to Remus. Remus bowed to her while she mock curtseyed. The two took up a waltz stance as Peter cleared his throat. “I said slow dance, mate. Not bore us.” Hermione flushed as the realization hit her. Remus sighed and pulled her closer, whispering something in her ear. She nodded before grabbing the half-empty bottle of Firewhiskey and taking a large swig. Sirius gaped at her as she swayed slightly, handing the bottle to James. The music changed to a Muggle song. Hermione placed her hands on Remus’s shoulders as the two swayed to Stevie Nicks’s voice. They stopped after James punched Peter in the shoulder for wolf-whistling at the two. Hermione quickly plopped down next to Sirius again, who pulled her into his side. She squeaked slightly but did not move.

 

Remus’s spin landed on Lily, who giggled before she drank.

 

“Dare,” she said. Remus smirked at her.

 

“I dare you to kiss James,” he challenged. She shrugged.

 

“Okay,” she said before planting her lips on his. Everyone except for Hermione seemed stunned.

 

“About time,” Hermione whispered to Sirius, who turned to look at her in confusion. Lily broke away from James, wiped her face, and spun the bottle. It landed on Hermione. She picked up the bottle and took a sip.

 

“Truth.” Peter booed at her. Lily looked at her, contemplating.

 

“Why do you put silencing charms up around your bed at night?” Sirius tensed at that.

 

“Dare!” Hermione shouted, panicking. Peter shook his head.

 

“You have to answer the question,” he said. Sirius could feel her begin to shake.

 

“Mate, she doesn’t need to answer,” Sirius growled. Lily caught on quickly and tried asking a different question.

 

“Why did you take so many-”

 

“Sorry, Lily,” Peter said, crossing his arms over his chest. Hermione glared at him. “She has to answer the first question. You know the rules.”

 

“I have nightmares about the night I was attacked,” Hermione said. The group was silent as Hermione spun the bottle. It landed on Peter. The smile that grew on her face was lethal.

 

“Kitten,” he whispered into her ear. “Whatever you’re planning, be careful.” She patted his forearm reassuringly.

 

“Dare,” Peter said confidently. Hermione’s smile turned sickly sweet.

 

“I dare you to show us any tattoos you may have,” she said. Peter’s eyes bulged for a second before he picked up the bottle of Firewhiskey and took a huge swig. James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus sat up and stared at him.

 

“When did you get a tat?” James asked. “And where is it?” Peter glared at Hermione.

 

“Somewhere embarrassing,” he hissed. She continued to smile at him.

 

“Well, I hope you’re proud of your choices, Wormtail,” she nearly hissed. This time, everyone stared at her in shock. She just took a swig from the non-enchanted bottle. Peter spun the bottle and watched as it landed on Sirius. Sirius paid no mind to the game. He just stared at the witch at his side.

 

“Pads!” Peter shouted in frustration. Sirius shook his head and looked at Peter. “Truth or dare?”

 

“Dare,” he said with a smirk.

 

“I dare you to snog Hermione,” he said. “She needs the stick pulled out of her arse.” The entire group yelled in defense of Hermione, but she raised her hand.

 

“Sirius, take a swig,” she said softly. He obeyed her and took a drink. He then turned to her as she opened her mouth. He could not help himself - he kissed her. She gasped as he deepened the kiss. He groaned as she opened her mouth to let his tongue in. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he placed a hand at the small of her back and in her hair.

 

“Oi! That’s my sister!” James shouted. Hermione jumped away from Sirius at the loud noise. She looked around the circle and stood up.

 

“It’s late,” she said as she took off into the maze. The sound of her voice did crazy things to Sirius. He followed her through the maze. He caught up to her with ease, gently grabbing her wrist and turning her towards him.

 

“Merlin, ‘Mione,” he murmured. He watched as she swallowed hard and backed up against the hedge behind her. He pressed a kiss to her temple and trailed kisses down to her neck. “We’ve been dancing ‘round each other for long enough.” He began nipping at the spot where her pulse pounded away, delighting when she mewled. “Maybe we should go steady? Go to the Leaky Cauldron?” Hermione squirmed and gasped in his grip as he kissed and sucked on her neck.

 

“N-no,” she finally gasped out. Sirius stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes. She stared at him with half-lidded, half-dazed eyes. “We can’t.” She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She then took off into the maze.

 

Sirius did not go after her. He decided that he needed to find a different way to woo her.

 

And he had every intention of winning her over.


	9. Howl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione drops some knowledge (then gets a surprise).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dearest Reader,
> 
> Two updates in one night? What? Who is she?
> 
> Anyway, please read, write, and review!
> 
> -MTW
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I wish I was JK Rowling.

**Howl**

 

_ If you could only see the beast you've made of me _

_ I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free _

_ Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart _

_ Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart _

  * “Howl,” Florence + the Machine



  
  


The dawn after the second full moon of the summer found Hermione sneaking into Remus’s room with a mound of chocolate. Remus was not back yet, so she set the chocolate down on his bedside table and Disillusioned herself. She knew it was time to let him know. He had been avoiding her since truth or dare. At least Sirius had not been put off by her dismissal. She sighed.

 

Sirius was going to be an issue this year. She just had a feeling. If the other night was any indication, she knew she was going to be in so much trouble. She had almost changed the timeline the other night. They knew Peter had a tattoo already. When had he gotten it? He was certainly a good actor around his friends. Hermione put her hair in a plait as she contemplated her options. She could not let her emotions get the best of her again. She and Peter were already on rocky terms. And she had apologized to him. He had glared at her, but accepted her apology nonetheless. Sirius and James had pestered him into telling them where it was. Hermione finally told them that it covered up an embarrassing birthmark on his rear end, to which they asked how she knew about it. She had bushed and fumbled through a story of accidentally stumbling across Peter after seeing him drunk after the last full moon, and Sirius and James had laughed at the scenario.

 

The door to Remus’s room opened with a soft creak, dragging Hermione out of her thoughts. Sirius and James quietly carried Remus into the room, snorting at the mound of chocolate on the table.

 

“Mum,” James said to Sirius. “She finally figured out that Remus loves chocolates.” Remus snorted and groaned as they set him down on his bed.

 

“Not Euphie,” Remus said. “Just a friend.” Sirius shook his head.

 

“Get some rest mate,” he said before he and James left the room, closing the door softly. Remus laid on the bed for several minutes, sleeping off the pain.

 

“You can come out now, ‘Mione,” he mumbled. Hermione jumped and removed her charm. She saw Remus peeking at her, chuckling at her before turning serious. “This is the second time you’ve come to my room after I’ve been sick. Why?”

 

Hermione sighed and walked over to her friend’s side. She unwrapped a chocolate and held it out to him. His nose twitched as his wolf sniffed it and he gently took it from her.

 

“I know, Remus,” she said softly. Remus’s eyes went wide. His irises flashed gold and she smiled at him. “You don’t have to be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” He laughed at this.

 

“It’s you who should be afraid,” he said as he looked away. “I’m a monster.” Hermione sucked in a breath and cast a silencing charm on the room.

 

“Remus John Lupin, you are not a monster,” she said, standing over him. He stared up at her, a dog getting scolded. She persisted. “Now, what I’m about to tell you does not leave this room unless you are speaking to me or James. Are we clear?” He nodded. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. “I know you’re not a monster, because I’ve seen you transform. I know about you, James, Sirius, and Peter, because I’ve seen it.” Remus sat up and glared at her. “I saw it in the year 1994.” He choked on his chocolate.

 

“You  _ what?” _ Hermione turned around, wrapping her arms around herself.

 

“I’m from the year 1998,” she said softly. “I’ve been to Hogwarts before, and I was a Gryffindor then, too. I was born on September 19th, 1979. And I know you in the future.” She turned back around to watch Remus’s reaction. He stared at her in confusion. She sighed and sat down in the seat by his bed.

 

“I can’t tell you much about the future,” she said. “I almost ruined everything the other night during that blasted game.” She ran a hand over her hair. “But what I can say is that you were happy, the last time I saw you.” She smiled, thinking about Teddy. She teared up. “You were so happy.” Hermione felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked up to see Remus studying her.

 

“I find my mate.” It was not a question. It was a statement. Hermione nodded, smiling at him. He lets out a breath.

 

“Sirius is going to tease you about her,” Hermione chuckled sadly. Remus smiled at her.

 

“I don’t want to know about my mate,” Remus said. “Or my future. But I am glad to know that I will be happy. What I do want to know is your past - er, or your future?” Hermione wiped her eyes and told him about Harry and Ron, about her dalliances with Fred and how she loved him. About the Triwizard Tournament and Viktor. How Sirius drove her up a wall - though she kept out much of the details. She told him about her favorite Defense professor without revealing his name. And Remus just sat there, listening.

 

A sudden knock on the door startled the two of them. Hermione removed the silencing charm on the door.

 

“Come in,” Remus said. James stuck his head into the room. Upon seeing Hermione, his eyes widened.

 

“What are you-” he started to ask.

 

“She knows, mate,” Remus said. Hermione turned back to her future professor to find his eyes brimming with tears and a smile on his face. “She knows.” James shook his head as he entered the room.

 

“Of course she does,” James said, ruffling her hair. Hermione swiped at his hand as he laughed.

 

“Remus knows, too,” she said softly. James tensed. “Not as much as you. He didn’t want to know that much. But he knows.” That made James relax. He stuck his hand out to Remus.

 

“Welcome to the club,” James said. Remus took the extended hand hesitantly. “It’s our job to protect her at Hogwarts. Her secrets, in the wrong hands, could mean the downfall of the entire Wizarding World. So we need to protect her.” Remus nodded solemnly.

 

“Quick question,” He said. “Does Sirius no.” Hermione shook her head.

 

“And I don’t want to tell him quite yet. I don’t know how he would take it, so I would rather just keep it between us for now.” As if summoned by their words, Sirius poked his head into the room.

 

“What is this?” He asked. “Some secret club meeting?” He stepped into the room and stood next to James.

 

“Well, ‘Mione,” Remus sighed, stretching. “Should you tell him or should I?”

 

“Tell me what?” Sirius asked. His black Black Sabbath shirt was just slightly too tight on him, and when he crossed his arms over his chest, it showed off his muscles a little too well. It made Hermione feel a little flustered. “Are you two planning a romantic getaway without me?” Hermione hid her face behind her hands as James smacked his head.

 

“No, you dolt,” James said. “She knows.” Sirius’s smile slid off his face.

 

“How?” It was Hermione’s turn to smirk as she crossed her arms.

 

“It’s fairly easy,” she said. “This one ‘gets sick’ once a month and then the rest of you disappear to help him out. I figured he’d like chocolate because a great friend of mine told me that chocolate tends to help when you feel helpless.” Sirius looked at her, shocked.

 

“I swear, woman, I’m going to marry you,” he stated in awe. Hermione blanched as Remus and James groaned.

 

“You will do no such thing,” James said. “She’s my sister.”

 

“Yeah, you keep reminding me of that,” Sirius said, brushing James off. “How would you feel if I started doing that whenever Lily walked into the room?” James opened his mouth to argue.

 

“He’s got a point, Prongs,” Hermione said. “Besides, I can handle the dog.” Sirius’s attention snapped back to her.

 

“How did you know that I’m a dog?”

 

“That night in the library,” she said with a shrug. Sirius flinched as James and Remus turned to him, looking for an explanation.

 

“She needed to go to bed,” he said lamely. “She’d been in the library for eight hours.”

 

“Speaking of libraries,” she said, walking toward the door. “I need to do research. You boys have a nice day.” With that, she walked to the outer staircase to the library.

 

Hermione spent the next four days trying to find the solution to her predicament, but to no avail. At some point, Remus joined her, but he did not understand the mechanics of Muggle sciences, so he gave up rather quickly.

 

On the fourth day, Lily came up with a tea tray.

 

“Ah,” she said as she set down the tea tray on a table. “Are you trying to go back to your own time?” This made Hermione jump.

 

“How do you know?” She asked. Lily smiled and shrugged.

 

“You have a textbook labelled ‘1996’ on your bed,” she said with all the nonchalance in the world. “Don’t worry - your secret’s safe with me.” Hermione exhaled, smiling at her friend. Lily sat down and took the notes from Hermione. “What have you got so far?”

 

“You don’t want to know your future?” Hermione asked. Lily shrugged.

 

“Do I have kids?” She asked. Hermione smiled.

 

“You have the most amazing son,” Hermione said softly. “Harry is… was my best friend.” Lily smiled and gripped Hermione’s hand.

 

“Then let’s get you back to Harry,” she said with a soft smile. Hermione nodded and the two girls began working on their newest project - sending Hermione home.


End file.
